While many of my adult counterparts were probably heading home tonight after work to sit by a fire and have a glass of wine, I was heading to the park to play with my stepson. Snow pants and all, we trudged across snow-packed sidewalks, crazy carpets in hand and smiles on our faces.
If you don't live in a snowy climate, you might not realize that there is very often a silent, surreal feeling after a huge snowfall. While part of you (the very adult part) might be lamenting the driving and the shoveling, there is this other part of you (the inner child part) that is in awe of the snow-covered tree branches, the heights of the snow banks and the thought of tobogganing.
Ryan and I arrived at the park entrance, both totally giggling and our mouths dropped open at the sight of the snowfall that covered the benches and the play structures. No one else was there (which is our absolute favourite- those few times when we get the whole park to ourselves) and that serene, surreal feeling was in the air. We crazy carpeted our way down any mounds we could find, made snow angels, ate snow, took turns burying each other in it (and then "busting out", as Ryan called it), sat down in a variety of hilarious ways in the deep snow on the benches and trudged our way around the whole park. In our imaginations, we were on a trek to the South Pole, we were climbing Mount Everest and we were spies on a covert winter mission.
I love Ryan for his ability to show me how to be a kid again. And he doesn't even bat an eye when I feel like getting particularly goofy (thank you, Ryan). It's absolute fuel for the soul and if you haven't gone out to play in the snow with a kid lately, I encourage you to do so as soon as you can.
As twilight fell upon the park, we both noticed that the sky was turning a stunning, albeit slightly ominous, dark purple colour. The wind started to pick up, blowing snow right at us, much to our shrieking delight and we decided it was time to call it a night. We left the park, thanking both it and the winter for such a good time and trudged on home.
And as we entered the house, Ryan turned to me and said "Well, that was an awesome time at the park!". I couldn't agree more, little teacher. I couldn't agree more.
