let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

For a season so full of noise and shopping and things, I've been finding a lot of peace in nature. The world that we live in, the way it was before we messed it all up with unnecessary things. Take today for instance- this is the first time in ages I remember getting so much snow, over a foot! My family and I were completely snowed in. We had fun and tried to make the best of it by decorating the house and baking cookies, but eventually we all got cabin fever and started getting annoyed (it's inevitable). When there's so much going on, it's like sensory overload, and usually my situation gets the best of me, be it stress or annoyance or anger. I talk about it all the time here, but in the moment, it's hard for me to remember to relax. Just BE. Breathe.

But tonight, I decided to go out on the porch and look at the snow. I needed some fresh air, and a break from my family. It was gorgeous outside, sparkling and bright, everything blanketed in perfection. The thing that hit me right away though was the quiet. Have you ever listened to snow fall? It's like someone put a pair of earmuffs over the entire world. Everything is so muffled and peaceful and it's the best sound I think I've ever heard, that quiet. Quiet is so hard to find during such a busy time of year, but it's the most important time to look for it. It's yet another reminder of how small and insignificant all of the stuff we concern ourselves with is, and how great God's plan is. So much bigger and more beautiful than our small minds can comprehend. Lucky for us, He gives us little glimpses of that beauty on days like today. When the snow falls and the world is, for however short a time, at peace.

"Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence."

Desiderata