It. Won’t. Stop. Snowing.
At least that’s how it feels right now after this latest blast of snow and ice and sleet. And yes it is annoying, (especially the shoveling) and yes it is frustrating, (all the canceled plans) and yes it is maddening (will my children EVER have a full week of school?), but it is also, in some very strange way, a forced break. You know just what I mean. Would you ever have spent an entire day in your pajamas if not for the snow day? Would you have ever considered baking cookies all day long if you were not trying to entertain your children? There is something very special about these days of togetherness with our families and the sense of community we feel because we are all going through this together.
Yes, a snow day is very much like a mini-Shabbat. You don’t work, you don’t go to school, you spend time with family, and you come up with creative things to do together. I know many of us think of Shabbat as this day with lots of rules about what you “should” or “shouldn’t” do. But in actuality, it was God’s way of saying “Hey, take a break! Relax!” Turns out that is just what a foot of snow tells us too. But somehow the snow is way more convincing because we don’t really have a choice.
So whatever enjoyable thing you did on your snow day, take a minute and think “How could I do this more, even when the sun is shining?” Chances are you could work a piece of it into your week, maybe even in the 24 hours that begin tonight at sunset. The choice is yours!
Wishing you all a safe, warm and relaxing Shabbat!
