Tuesday, January 17, 2012

My Snowy Prayer

Here in the Pacific Northwest, or the Portland-Metro area to be specific, it doesn't snow a great deal. We get a smattering or dusting and that's it. Except for three years ago when the heavens' opened and it dumped nearly two feet on us. For the most part we just don't see a lot of snow at this elevation.

Which is why we all FREAK OUT when it does snow.

We don't know how to drive in it.

We panic.

We scurry home faster than you can sing Frosty the Snowman.

It started snowing heavily on Sunday as we were returning from church. We were discussing where to eat lunch when I insisted that we just go home! It was snowing!!!

Beloved, who was driving, looked at me and stated simply, "It's not that bad."

Still...there was white stuff flying and it wasn't melting when it hit the ground. That only leads to a car in the ditch or a vehicle stuck on the side of the road with a woman inside crying because she cannot get the car up the  hill or down the hill....

Ahem...

Of course Sunday's snow fell and melted and fell and melted.

The Monday morning commute featured wet pavement and not much else. My boss (also a girl) sent me a message and said not to come in till 9:00, just in case.

I woke at 3:30 am this morning to the sound of the cat retching and beautiful, large snowflakes falling in the light of the street lamp. As I crawled back in to bed I smiled, treasuring what I was sure was to be a "snow day". A day so dangerous that you dare not (!) venture outside the safety of your own home. Why, even the Mayor of Portland advised we mere citizens to remain at home and to not drive on icy, snowy, slushy roads.

The Mayor! Gasp!

Sadly, the roads as of right this second are wet and mushy with melting snow. There isn't much to delay my trip into work. Beloved phoned and told me the roads are fine until I reach a certain point, but they clear pretty quickly after that.

My boss, bless her girly soul, said she is opening the office at 9:00 and that I'm a saint if I go in early. Which I will do because I want to leave early today...it's supposed to snow!

So, here is my little snow prayer...just in case God cares about such silliness!

Dear God,


Could you make it snow and block the roads tonight, after Beloved and I return from work? Could you give us Wednesday as a snow day and let us sleep in and eat pancakes and have a snowball fight? Would it be possible to melt that snow before the Thursday morning commute?  After all, we Portlander's are very afraid of this white, mystical stuff that happens our way once or twice a year. We'd like to spend some time in it...but we don't want it to stay long. We have to go to work. And to the store. And the bank. And school. 


Thanks God for listening :)

2 comments:

Akum said...

Snow! Waiting for the day when it will snow here in New Delhi India, though its freaking cold here.

Hope God will answer your Snow Prayer but I hope god will also provide shelter to all the homeless people in the street.

Annie said...

Yes, I remember when I my son was in India last year how cold he said it was - and you're also correct that too many are left, shivering in the cold when the temperatures drop.

I feel a bit ashamed...