Lost Amid the Snow

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{photo credit Sarah Ackerman}

She sits curled up on her couch facing the large picture window. It’s original, over 100 years old, “liquid glass” he husband calls it. You can see the ripples in it, it sometimes looks likes it’s melting or running like the clocks in “The Persistence of Memory”. It’s memories that pester her now.

She pulls her legs in tighter, wrapping her arms around them cupping her warm cup of coffee in her hands. She sinks into the silence of the early morning, before anyone arises, before anyone asks her if she is okay, or what they can do. Here she doesn’t have to answer to anyone, think through the response or put on a face. Here she can just sit and watch the snow globe world outside her window. Marvel that something as insignificant as a little frozen water can stop and quiet everyone down. Bring a city to it's knees. Make the world totally still.

This morning she appreciates it. Like God is telling the world "Stop! It’s a time to slow down and mourn." Though she knows it’s just her that is mourning on this cold winter day. In houses everywhere people are bemoaning that their world has stopped as the snow piles up outside. Her world stopped the day she walked into the doctors office, she appreciates that everyone else seems to have been forced to stop too.

She stares out at the gently falling snow, so thick and heavy yet so gentle and quiet. It blankets the city and says stop, slow down. She imagines herself walking out into, deep into the forest with the snow covered trees and branches over her head. The soft crunching of the snow under her feet as the flakes flutter all around her, bringing quiet over her too. She longs to be lost in the snow instead of lost in sadness and grief.

Instead she just sits there, getting lost in the swirling thoughts and flakes of snow.






This was part or T'was the Write Before Christmas, Day 1 Prompt: Lost Amid the Snow (with above image).

You can join in too, we'd love to read your stories! All mediums welcome. The goal is to take the time in this busy season to focus on something creative.