Snow has become the most talked about four-letter word in Boston for weeks now. The presence of the white fluffy flakes flying out of the heavens is a sure-bet every winter season, but this year’s storms were like no other in this city’s history. How can so many flakes cause so much trouble?
Leave it to a snowstorm to disrupt our lives, to challenge us to slow down the daily rush, and to stop us in our tracks. These storms interrupt business, paralyze travel, and create inconvenience for many. The walk to the bus stop requires an extra ten minutes to the morning routine, the drive to the office requires extra time digging out, not to mention extra driving time maneuvering through narrow roads. Even the usually quick trip to the grocery store is no longer quick. But while a snowstorm presents many challenges and can bring a city to a grinding halt, I challenge you to look at these situations from a different, more positive perspective … as an opportunity to connect, to learn, to accept, and to let go. Here are some lessons a snowstorm can teach us:
1. Prepare Early. It is never a good idea to head to the store for provisions on the day of a storm. The crowds get maddening, lines are long, and emotions run high. Also, last minute purchases often mean spending more money than planned for. It is not the kind of stress anyone needs. On the day of the first blizzard a few weeks ago, I sat at a Home Depot parking lot and observed the influx of customers running into the store to buy bags of Ice Melt, shovels and snow blowers, only to find out the store sold out on everything. Avoid this scene by planning ahead.
2. Embrace Help. In a storm, it is easy to settle into the comforts of indoors and forget about your neighbors who may need a helping hand. For some, asking for help does not come easy. However, according to researchers at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, helping someone, whether a friend or a stranger, relieves time-related stress better than spending the same amount of time on you. So, go ahead and shovel out your neighbor’s front steps even if they insist they can do it themselves or drop off warm soup and blankets for the people down the street who are temporarily without heat. It feels good to do good for others.
3. Trust Thyself. Sometimes when you cannot count on a helping hand right away, you have to roll up your sleeves and rely on your own strength to get you through. When a loved one was asked to stay back in his office during a recent blizzard, I realized I would have to handle everything on my own – our house and the snow removal. I had to conquer my own fears quickly and be in charge, learn to use a snow blower, and scale a ladder to remove accumulated snow off the awnings. A big task for someone with a lifelong fear of heights. To trust and believe in my capabilities was empowering and a confidence-booster.
4. Seek Fun. Unlike many people, I admit fun does not come natural to me. After hours of shoveling out from a snowstorm, I am achy and grumpy. What adult has time to stop and build a snow fort when the icicles dangling from the roof are a threat to anyone walking below? More than you realize, actually. According to author Thelma Adams, spontaneous fun is essential oxygen to our soul that requires us to be ready and open for anything. When I recently climbed on top of a snow mountain to allow the kids to bury me in the snow, to play snowball catch, or to build a fort surrounded by icicles, I realized a joy I never knew I had. It is easy to be blinded by all the mess a storm leaves behind, but a snowstorm is ripe with opportunities for infinite levels of fun. And we all need to make room for unplanned fun and make it often. Live in the moment because life is too short!
5. Take Rest. A snowstorm is an opportunity to get in some physical exercise and to flex some muscles, but all of that can be too strenuous for many people. Adequate rest is essential for feeling optimal and restoring your strength, so do not power through the shoveling sessions without breaks in between. You are not in a race with Mother Nature or your neighbor next door.
6. Give Time. When a snowstorm keeps you indoors, there is only so much television to watch and so much laundry to do before boredom sets in. There are many times during the year you will complain about not having enough time with your loved ones. Leave it to a snowstorm to change all of that! Why not spend those hours doing something you seldom have time for, such as doing jigsaw or Sudoku puzzles, baking a cake, or making a scrapbook together? My family and I did a round of Mad Libs word games recently and it was incredible watching the knowledge gained from those sessions. These will be the moments your loved ones will cherish most, long after the snowstorms make way for sunnier days.
Images credit: Susan Ho
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