MY GIFT TO YOU—GET YOUR FREE EBOOK—“THE 5-DAY JOURNEY TO CULTURAL AWARENESS”!
We had heard rumors that it was coming. But, was it really?
The weather app on my phone displayed the white snowflake instead of the typical sunshine next to today’s forecast. The temperatures had been steady during the past days, -3 to 7 Celsius.
Could it be, could it be that we might see snow in Spain?
Thermal Shock
Arriving here in the summer of 2019 from cold and snowy Pennsylvania was a huge climate leap. We were in thermal shock once again!
Last winter, it was cold here, but no snow. We longed again for those wintry white days of sitting inside our warm house in Pennsylvania, next to the fireplace, watching those giant flakes drift magically from the sky. Kids loved “snow days”—staying home from school, with no place to go.
I hated driving in it, but I loved sitting inside, watching snow fall, sipping hot chocolate, and being cozy in fleece pajamas and fuzzy socks.
Then, we arrived in Spain. No snow last year. No snow this Christmas . . .
Until this morning. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it begin to fall.
White beauty!
It fell, and it fell, and it fell.
Let It Snow!
“Alexa, play ‘Let it Snow’!” I commanded the little black box sitting on my kitchen counter, excitement in my voice.
I belted out at the top of my lungs with Frank Sinatra . . .
“Oh, the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we’ve no place to go,
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Man it doesn’t show signs of stoppin’,
And I brought me some corn for poppin’,
The lights are turned way down low,
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.”
“Let’s go on a walk in the snow,” I told my 8-year-old son, Pierre.
We scrambled to round up hats, gloves, and rubber boots in the garage. We threw on our coats, put our dog on his leash, and away we went.
“Let’s not wear masks! Let’s enjoy freedom!” I said, quickly stuffing our masks in my coat pocket.
Pure Joy
Pure joy and delight filled our hearts.
I draped my arm around my son’s shoulder and sang.
“Sleigh bells ring, are you listening?
In the lane, snow is glistening,
A beautiful sight,
We’re happy tonight,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
Gone away is the bluebird,
Here to stay is a new bird,
To sing a love song,
While we stroll along,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
In the meadow, we can build a snowman,
We’ll pretend that he is Parson Brown,
He’ll say, are you married?,
We’ll say, no man,
But you can do the job when you’re in town.
Later on, we’ll conspire,
As we dream by the fire,
To face unafraid,
The plans that we’ve made,
Walking in a winter wonderland.”
We walked on the snow-laden path up the hills next to our house. In the distance, we could see the majestic mountains. Breathtaking. When we could no longer feel our fingers and toes, we ventured back to the house to make hot chocolate, pop popcorn, and sit by the fire.
Dreaming By the Fire
We dreamed . . . ready “to face unafraid, the plans that we’ve made” . . . in this new year.
After we were warmed up and our clothes had dried next to the fire, we bundled up again and went outside on the back porch to make a snowman. Instead of a carrot nose, our little white man has a florescent green mask. We are still in the middle of a pandemic, and masks are mandatory outside of our home here in Spain. We wouldn’t want “Oliver the Snowman” to get a 600 euro fine.
Tonight and tomorrow, as we continue to watch the snow fall here on the mountains of Spain, we will “dream by the fire, to face unafraid, the plans that we’ve made, walking in a winter wonderland.”
Just today, just for a moment, I feel free, I feel normal, I feel unafraid. If only it could snow everyday in Spain.
If only we could freeze time . . . just for today.
—THE CULTURAL STORY-WEAVER
MY GIFT TO YOU—GET YOUR FREE EBOOK—“THE 5-DAY JOURNEY TO CULTURAL AWARENESS”!
LET’S WEAVE CULTURES!
What’s the weather like in your part of the world? When was the last time you walked in a “Winter Wonderland”? Even if you can’t, listen to the Frank Sinatra songs to get you in the mood.
We invite you to tell us your own cultural stories and global adventures . . . as you engage with the world, breaking down barriers, building bridges, and “weaving cultures!” Write about them in the comment box below.
