While we enjoy a few inches of snow every few years, it can still be quite an enigma. In 2022, we were pleased to experience a snowy Christmas which is a rare occurrence for us in the South. This week in January 2024, we were surprised to encounter 7 inches of snow in our area. The Tennessean newspaper stated we received more than our yearly total of snow in less than 24 hours. We normally get 4.5 inches total in a year.

I also found it interesting how we were colder than Alaska right now. This morning it was -1 degrees Fahrenheit. Needless to say, I joined my cat by the fire place and stayed warm.

I’m not a fan of winter, but I have to say I was delighted to see the snow. Usually, it turns to mush and mess after just a day, but the white landscape is still quite breathtaking. My husband and I bundled up and took a walk in the winter wonderland around our neighborhood. My husband is from Ohio and he moved here to get away from the snowy winters, but he could appreciate it from my point of view. There was only one other time when I had seen a heavy snow.

We experienced a magical transformation of the world around us practically overnight. We were offered the chance to slow down and appreciate nature’s wonders. I wanted to take a moment and share the beauty of the week and invite you to pause and find beauty in your surroundings. We need a reminder at times to find beauty in the simplest of moments.

A Snowflake Falls 

One night I saw a snowflake fall,
Past memories it did recall,

And as the snow fell to the ground,
So quietly without a sound,

I watched until a blanket made,
To glistening white brown earth did fade.

An untouched cover until the dawn,
the sun arose it was soon gone.

I thought of friendships in the past,
Seemed perfect though they did not last.

And family ties once meant so much,
Now rarely do we keep in touch.

So quickly life can take a turn,
Yet slowly we do seem to learn,

So many things in life can change,
And suddenly be rearranged.

In our slumber while we do sleep,
For granted blessings thought to keep,

For same as night does turn to morn,
An untouched blanket can get torn,

The things that we have overlooked,
Ignored, rejected or mistook,

As melted snow does turn to slush,
Relationships can turn to dust.

So this year for the Holiday,
Praise God for blessings gave today.

Don’t take for granted they’ll remain,
That life forever will be the same.

Let’s be the most that we can be,
For all our friends and family.

Unlike the snowflake on the ground,
Let’s keep in touch and stay around.


~Ruth Adams