Snowflakes

I have recently discovered the wonder and excitement of snowflakes. This may sound a bit silly, but growing up in southern California, snow was not really a thing. Sure, we could pack up the car and drive to the mountains where my family and I would make snowmen and sled down random hills. But snow was definitely not an average, everyday phenomenon.

Here in the “Great White North” it is a totally different story. Snow is most certainly a thing and it is absolutely wonderful.

The other day Andy and I were going for a stroll across town and it began to lightly snow. For the first time in my life, I looked down at my sleeve and noticed that it was sprinkled with perfectly shaped snowflakes. These were not the fluffy clumps of snow that we usually get during a snow flurry, but actual snowflakes! I could see the crystalized ice formations in their individuality and uniqueness with my own eyes. This blew my mind and filled me with the joy and giddiness of a little school girl.

You may be thinking, “Laura, it is just snow…” and you are absolutely right. But it is also so much more than that. A snowflake is so fragile and complex, yet it falls from the sky along with countless others like there is nothing to it. Snowflakes are completely unique and no two recorded have ever been exactly alike. Nonetheless, so many snowflakes will come and go without anyone ever noticing that they existed. What a truly strange and amazing world we live in.

So today I would like to challenge you if you are up for it. As you go throughout your day, whether you are driving to work, sitting in class, changing stinky diapers at home, or just simply enjoying life for what it is, take a moment to intentionally notice the little things, even if they are as small as a snowflake. This world is filled with phenomena that we all to easily take for granted and/or miss completely. Stop and truly feel the wind brushing against your face, the sunshine warming your body, or the snowflakes falling on your outstretched glove. May we learn to notice the little things well and grow in appreciation for each snowflake in life as it comes and goes.

What are you choosing to intentionally notice throughout your day today? Please feel free to respond in the comments below! 🙂