This winter has seemingly lasted longer than ever. It started off slowly, but now we’re getting bouts of snow, and summer doesn’t seem to be coming anytime soon. It’s snowing as I write this, and looking around at all the white is putting me in an eager mood.

As I’ve stated before, I have extremely fond memories of playing in the snow during my childhood. Winter, snow, Christmas and family blend together in my mind, and seeing snowflakes always gets me singing carols. I’m a little too old for things such as sledding and snowmen, and the horrors of driving in slush have decreased my excitement. But something about snowflakes still makes me check the weather and flip my pajamas inside out – the hope of a snow day.

A snow day, for any Southerners or people who live under a rock, is a day when school is canceled because there is too much snow. It’s different than a weekend, a teacher institute day or a planned vacation. On snow days, the universe is telling you to forget about school. The Hand of God has come down and denied trigonometry, reading guides and unflattering P.E. uniforms a day of their devilish taunts. When I was younger, it was like the world was literally telling me to go play in the snow. Now, it’s telling me to take a nap, take a bath and take some time to appreciate the weather.