Well, the holidays certainly weren’t as normal as we were expecting, and now we’re suddenly back to teleworking, so joy and cheer have been seriously hard to come by. But, in the middle of this dreary, turbulent January, we have been given a gift: several beautiful snowfalls. Now, I tell everyone I know how much I hate winter – hate the cold, hate the dark, hate the dry air. But when it snows, I can forget all of my qualms with the winter season for a few magical moments. It’s simply a sight like no other, and even if it no longer means I get out of school (or even work as we work from home), I still feel a rush of exhilaration as I see the flakes tumble down. I think the main reason I still feel this exuberance at the sight of snow is the fact that it really brings out my inner child.

As the past two years have stolen so much joy from us and made us deny ourselves so many things that make us happy, it is essential that we take any chance we get to allow our inner child to come out and bring some whimsy into our day. And I think the best time to let out that youthful spirit is in the snow! Visions of snow-covered yards and hills bring back memories of so many fun activities:

• Looking up with your mouth as wide as possible to catch a few snowflakes on your tongue.
• Sledding down a hill and feeling the wind on your face.
• Finding some friends and having a crazy snowball fight – complete with giant snow forts!
• Plopping down and waving your arms and legs like a maniac to get the biggest snow angel.
• Crafting a cheery (but inevitably lopsided) snowman and holding a sliver of hope that he’ll come alive.

Even if going out and playing in the snow isn’t your thing, snow days are the perfect excuse to stay in your fuzziest, comfiest loungewear and make some hot tea or cocoa and really get in the spirit of coziness. Finding whimsy and allowing ourselves moments to be truly carefree can be so healing for all of the stress and burnout that everyone has been experiencing. So next time it snows, don’t be afraid to let your inner child out and go a little crazy! You’ll be better off for it.