Ten Reasons I Love Shoveling Three Inches of Wet, Heavy Snow
Feb 24, 2019
I have this thing I do when I notice myself feeling grumbly and irritated. Because most of the time my complaints are minor in the grand scheme of the world, so I like to shake myself out of complaining. And even when the complaints are straight-up legit, there’s always more than one way to look at a situation.
So, I make a list. Right there, on the spot, of all the things that I can genuinely appreciate about the thing I was grumbling and complaining about. The only rule is that the appreciations have to be real. Sometimes it’s difficult to get to 10. But I do it and it always gives me a better perspective.
Today, I decided to do my list out loud and in public, because I’m thinking that some of you could use this list today too. Snow shovelers unite!
Without further ado:
- The most obvious: I get to have shoveled walks and a shoveled driveway. I can get my car out and go places. My neighbors can walk on my sidewalks without falling. I can feel like a respectable citizen doing my part to better the world.
- Hundreds of weight-bearing (man, that icy snow is heavy!) squats, twists, and lifts. Those are some seriously high snowbanks to throw snow up on. I am damn strong. How awesome is that?
- I get to spend hours alone—this is rare. And also…
- I get to see my neighbors out working and say hello and commiserate and work together. I might not see them until spring otherwise. Which, around here, could be the end of May. No, I’m not exaggerating.
- The snow on all the trees is pretty. Right? You’ve got to give it pretty.
- The cold wind across my face makes me appreciate my brand-new boiler (uh, yeah. Had to replace that during the last 50-below snap. Who lives where it gets to be 50 below? Oh, wait, this is the appreciation list. I digress…)
- All this work makes my body totally warmed up and ready for yoga and my 45-minute meditation sit. Nothing better than meditating after a strenuous workout and stretch. I was still as a rock.
- I live on a corner lot and we have a long driveway. That means there’s plenty of work to share with my kids. Which means they learn the magic of cooperation and hard work and doing their part. How about that? That’s useful, right?
- Throat Coat when it’s all over. I love this tea always. But when I’m freezing and need to warm up, it is a miracle worker.
- I can. I have the body and the strength and the mind to do it. It hasn’t always been this way and I won’t take all of that for granted. Hey, thanks, wet, heavy snow.
