Oh, snow!

7:30 am - "More snow!  I hate snow!  I am so tired of this @#&*, ^&$/#ing snow!"  The car is totally buried, the driveway is indistinguishable from the lawn, I have to leave for work, right now, or I will never make it on time.  And, oh yeah, I was going to fill up yesterday, but I forgot, and now I need gas, too.  Hrumph....grump, grump...

8:00 am -  Car swept off, driveway ignored, and I am on my way.  My shift starts at 9:30, so hopefully I am good for time.  But traffic is crawling, visibility is limited and the roads are rivers of yucky, brown slush.  "Stupid snow.  Stupid job.  I should have stayed in bed!"  Grump, snarl, self-pity, mope...

8:30 am - I am at the gas station.  Every pump is in use.  Grrr!  I circle the island until a pump opens up, then get out into the thickly blowing snow, feeling thoroughly annoyed.

As I pump the gas, head down, shoulders hunched, I stare down at my gloved hand.  And there, on the back of my glove, sits a tiny, perfect hexagonal snowflake.  It has all the fine detail of a Christmas card snowflake.

Then, as I widen my focus, I realize every snowflake I can see is just as beautiful.  So many different shapes!  It is a moment of unexpected pleasure that suddenly snaps me out of my bad mood.

8:45 - Back in the car now, with a hot cup of tea in my hand and a whole new outlook, I reevaluate the morning.

I woke up feeling healthy and well rested, next to my sleeping 11 year old daughter, who is not yet too old to want to snuggle with her Mom on occasion. 

Because I am on a later shift than usual, I was able to drive Bruce all the way to work, saving him a long bus ride.  

I have a great car that allows me to drive through snow without worry.  I have a job to go to that I actually enjoy.  I have enough money that I can fill my gas tank without batting an eye at the $70 price. 

9:15 - At the highway off-ramp, I see a man holding a sign that says "Hungry".  He is walking down the line of cars waiting at the red light.  When he gets to my car, I drop a toonie in his cup and he says, "Thank you for seeing me, and bless you".

The light turns green and I drive away, knowing I already am.

Photo by windscafe, downloaded from stock.xchng.com