Dear Winnie,
At 9 am we made our way outside. You stood still in the crisp morning air. Wonder and amazement danced across your face as you took in the dazzling white appearance of the trees, bushes, and ground. You reached your little mitted hand up for mine and flashed a trusting look. The kind of look that warms me to the core and says that you know I’ll always grab your little hand, even when it’s not so little anymore. As we held hands, we walked. The snow came up to your thighs. I helped you take the giant steps required of you to make your way through the mountains of white fluff. The silence of the snow wrapped around us.
Our peaceful walk led us to your sled. I sat you down and strapped you in, much to your confusion. My hand gripped the sled’s rope and we headed for the hill at Pop Pop’s house. The fresh snow crunched under my boots as I ran down his hill and driveway, pulling you next to me. Your sled had barely stopped moving before you began to cry out, “More! More!” We made deep tracks as we sledded over and over and over again. After pulling you down the hill approximately 3,000 times, we headed off to explore the sidewalks of our neighborhood wonderland. The ordinary seems so magical when it is hidden beneath the fresh, cold snow. You sat on the roofs of our cars as Daddy brushed away the snow. We wrote W-I-N-N-I-E in giant letters in the center of our court while we waited for Mrs. Elise and Mr. Hunter to come visit. When they arrived, Mr. Hunter introduced you to that fact that snow can be eaten, so you enjoyed a few bites of a snowball. We made snow angels with Mrs. Elise while Daddy and Mr. Hunter built you a snow throne, followed by a snow sliding board! I’m actually not sure who had more fun in the snow—you or Mr. Hunter. We all warmed ourselves inside with homemade chicken noodle soup, and it was so strange for me to be the one responsible for making it, instead of my mom!
Win Marie, playing with you in the snow reminded me of the value of being childlike. You wonder at the world, and remind me to do the same. Memories of my own childhood have been flooding my mind, and I am so thankful that God has blessed you with the same comforts of safety, health, and freedom with which I also grew up. Jesus tells us “unless [we] change and become like children, [we] will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:2), and it’s true that today I felt closer to the kingdom than I have for a while. Praise God for the gift that you are to Daddy and me. It is not easy to be a parent, nor does it often feel this peaceful and good, but you are and always will be a gift and blessing in my life.
So much love,
Mom
