Mama's Musings: Snow Day

All southeast Texas was abuzz with anticipation. The weather forecast on Friday, December 4th, was a possibility of snow. A chance of snow is not taken lightly here in the balmy gulf coast. Everyone had one eye on the weather radar watching a white blob move down from the north toward the south, and one eye on the sky hoping to detect the first snow flake to drift down.

We very rarely get snow here in Texas, but a year ago next week we had a snowfall that actually stayed on the ground for a whole day. So to have a snow day two years in a row is unheard of. Everywhere I went people were talking about whether the snow was going to make it here or not. Just the possibility of a few flakes sent the whole area into a tailspin.

The local school districts were having meetings as to whether they should close the schools early or not. Some of the schools had early release and some moms just kept their children home to avoid the chaos. People who live in the northern states would be laughing their heads off to know we would get this concerned and excited at the prospect of a few snowflakes that would not even last on our warm Texas soil.

I suppose the actual concern comes from the fact that as the snow would hit and melt, the freezing temperatures could make the roads icy. So our local leaders assume the snow will make us all go temporarily insane and we will all run amok, putting our children and ourselves in harm's way. Thank goodness the government has our back because there is no telling what would happen to us if they didn't. I guess we would be slip sliding all over the road as we all do our daily drag racing down Main street with our cars full of children.

The first snow flakes started to fall late afternoon. Here in southern Texas, seeing snow is the equivalent to seeing a rainbow. Snow is so rare, you realize what a gift it is and you just have to take the time to marvel at how beautiful everything looks. It feels like time stands still as you watch the flakes drift down taking it all in, all the while knowing this sight won't last.