Snowy Seattle

Wow, another snow storm in Seattle Sunday night, but this one didn't have nearly the same effect as the Christmas time storm that totally shut down the city. With temps above freezing, the 3 inches or so that poured down on Sunday are pretty much all gone now. I just started a new book and read an incredibly apropos paragraph regarding winter storms and the joy that comes from a kind of unanimous and corporate inability to carry on with your usual day to day tasks- kind of a universal get out of jail free card for all your typical activities. It's easy to get bogged down with a negative attitude with weather like this, but I think it's so important to look for the positive. I like this a lot, and think it gives a neat perspective;

" There is something joyful about storms that interrupt routine. Snow or freezing rain suddenly releases you from expectations, performance demands, and the tyranny of appointments and schedules. And unlike illness, it is largely a corporate rather than individual experience. One can almost hear a unified sigh rise from the nearby city and surrounding countryside where Nature has intervened to give respite to the weary humans slogging it out within her purview. All those affected this way are united by a mutual excuse, and the heart is suddenly and unexpectedly a little giddy. There will be no apologies needed for not showing up to some commitment or other. Everyone understands and shares in this singular justification, and the sudden alleviation of the pressure to produce makes the heart merry. "

-from The Shack, by Wm. Paul Young

Here's to making the most of these winter storms!