Photo Source: Ava’s family in December 2011.
The essence of what we knew to be winter was snow.
By Ava Rinella, Staff Writer
After hours of play, my sisters and I returned inside from my Nonno and Nonna’s backyard bundled with our favourite hats, crocheted scarves, and heavy snow pants. We turned the billowy blanket veiling our garden into a lively city with forts, roadways, and snow people. The winter painted our windows with endless joy and silence had befallen the wondrous landscape. The thought of being on vacation was comforting. School used to feel like a life sentence before we were free from worksheets and readings for Christmas.
We clunked and shuffled through the door, shedding layers of winter attire and regaining feeling in our fingertips by the fire with our grandmother. My sisters and I were exhausted from snowball fights and laughing so hard that our lungs froze from the cold air. We pattered into the living room to find a spot on the couch. As we organized the blankets and cuddled into our couch cushion, my grandmother turned on the DVD player and put on How The Grinch Stole Christmas for us. We winded down and waited for our mom and our grandfather to return from work for dinner. As the busy sounds of Whoville filled the air, my eyes gently closed. The Christmas tree twinkled and snow continued to flutter outside the window preparing us for the next day’s wintry adventure.
As we decorate our home this year, I can’t help but reminisce about the stories of my childhood and the joy of snowfall. Despite the frigidity outside, we were grateful to see opposite weather patterns throughout the year and for the warm memories we made. The Christmas songs stuck in my head have me “dreaming of a white Christmas” and begging for “snow and mistletoe,” but it doesn’t feel quite right when I know that the forecast calls for rain and warmer-than-average afternoons.
Today, I looked out the window of my room to see an overcast sky, a green lawn, and barren trees. I thought to myself, What happened to winter? Are these fond memories really that far back in time? Winter is the time of year when plants near the end of their life cycles and prepare for rebirth come spring. Snow was the symbol of new beginnings hiding beneath the earth, but over the years I’ve become increasingly aware of the future’s harsh reality. Back then, we didn’t need to think about carbon emissions and their effect on the environment; after all, our preferred and only method of transportation was by scooter or bike. Questions we formed about Santa’s awaited delivery and the selection of treats we left for the reindeer rapidly spilled into every conversation. Would he be able to fly safely with a blizzard on the rise? That very threat has melted into no snow at all. Identifying our role in this mess has become more difficult as time moves forward. How can we get back to normal? The above-freezing December is only the beginning, a blaring alarm for how we treat the environment. I still want to enjoy the fun that snow brings this time of year with my family in the future. I hope those who doubt the looming threat of desert winters are, too, longing for the old ways of snowy Christmases as we prepare to go outside with nothing but a sweater and a pair of sneakers.
