The last day of the week has arrived and is almost ending for people in Asia.  On the other side of the world, Europe is still midway through and the US is just awakening.  It’s snowing hard in Europe and the US.  People are waking up to a winter wonderland and trudging through the snow to get to work.  Roads are blocked.  It’s a nightmare for those who have business to attend to, but for children snow is fun.  Snow is about snowball fights and snow angels.  Snow is when we get to put on those ear muffs and fluffy coats.  I like snow.  It reminds me of the little pleasures and especially of a little incident involving my dog Dyzio and the ‘snow’. 

It happened when we were living in Warsaw, Poland and Dyzio was but a small puppy almost a year old.  He was an Aquarius, born in January when it was cold outside but of course he had been kept indoors being about the size of my palm.  He was my baby and I of course watched him evolve and grow.  I watched him learn how to climb the stairs, stumble while learning how to relieve himself, and saw him lose his baby teeth.  I watched him experience new environments and meet new people.  I watched him meet ‘snow’ for the first time.

I remember it like it was yesterday. I suppose this is how parents feel when they look at their children and reminisce back on times past.  Winter had arrived in Warsaw. It was 1993.  One night, snow had silently paid us a visit.  Snow had been so quiet, so soft and polite that if you did not look out the window, you would not have known that snow had paid a visit and left its mark.

I remember waking up early morning to go to school.  Dyzio sleeping by my bed was always my alarm clock.  He’ll come sit by my beside and give me a soft whimper.  Barking would be too loud, this was his way of letting me know it was time to wake up and let him out.  Of course he’d first jump onto my bed, right onto me and give me a big kiss. Then up and down the stairs we’d go.

Active and young, Dyzio would gallop down the stairs with me following him.  At the front door, he’d wait eagerly almost jumping to get out.  At this stage, whenever I opened the door, he’d just run out into the garden as if at long last he was free. 

That morning, after snow had silently paid us a visit during the night, Dyzio eagerly awaited at the door not knowing what would await him outside.  Upon opening the door he, as usual, ran outside head over heels into the white white snow.

Suddenly, midway to the garden, he breaked as if he had seen a ghost and ran right back inside the house. Leaving skid marks in the snow, he stood by the door and silently peered out to look at this ‘strange’ thing called ‘snow.’  It was only through coercion did Dyzio slowly step into the snow, one foot at a time.

I laughed so hard, I don’t think I’d ever witnessed anything quite so lovely and innocent.  Here was a dog, seeing snow for the first time.  So pure,so naieve he had never felt anything quite like it.  It always brings tears of laughter to my face whenever I think about it.  I miss snow.

So this winter, no matter how awfully cold it is, how difficult it makes your journey to work, think back to those good old days when snow was all about fun. 🙂  Life isn’t all that bad if you don’t let it be. 🙂  Have a happy winter and keep a smile on your face!!  ( I do wish you could send ‘snow’ in the mail to Thailand.  It’s awfully hot this year!)