Dear Friends,
Snow day!!! It doesn’t take much to go back in time and celebrate the moment a snow day was declared. We huddled around the radio in the kitchen, slowly eating our porridge, praying to God that the announcer would proclaim a day away from school. Please, please, please, we would whisper under our breath, and when the word was given – all schools are closed today! – there was a collective hurrah. A day was given, a free pass, a reprieve from a test at school, an extra 24 hours to finish a project, a day to play. Those of you familiar with the old Prayer Book and the words of the Benedicite will remember, “O ye ice and snow, bless ye the Lord! Praise Him and magnify Him for ever!”
When I was young, snow days seemed to go on forever. Every kid in the neighbourhood was out. We tobogganed together, played street hockey together, built forts, had snowball fights, climbed snowbanks and dug tunnels together. When we were thirsty, we ate the snow (not the yellow kind). We swapped out frozen mittens for dry ones, changed socks frequently, and lost track of time. Before we knew it, the streetlamps came on, signaling that supper was nigh. Where had the time gone? We never seemed to squander a snow day.
All those old memories came flooding back yesterday when 22 cm of snow fell in the GTA. Newscasters on every channel reported that schools were closed, the DVP was shut down, and school buses were silenced. And around seven in the morning, Mary and I headed outside to shovel for the first time. I love shoveling snow. Maybe it’s my way of holding on to the last vestiges of childhood, or maybe it’s my need to bring some order out of chaos. Maybe a bit of both. The snow was falling, the wind was brisk, the air was frigid. It was a perfect day! Before long, neighbours emerged and joined us in the cleanup. Shovels and friends chattered away.
I imagined a slower pace for the day – a second coffee, maybe work by the fireplace. Then I remembered I had left my computer at the office. There is something refreshing about driving in deep snow. The car responds like a boat on water. It takes a bit to get going and it’s trickier to stop. The drive was slow. It was good to slow down. Upon my return home, I shoveled for a second time. After a fruitful meeting, I shoveled for a third time. Before long, the streetlamps came on and then in the distance that familiar rumble could be heard: the chatter of the blade of the snowplow coming our way. Once again, the shovel was in hand for the fourth time. Perfect.
As the band U2 would sing, it’s a beautiful day, don’t let it get away, or as the Psalmist would say, This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24
Yours in Christ,
The Right Reverend Andrew Asbil
Bishop of Toronto
