Winter Beauty

Winter Beauty

It's just after 7 o'clock on a post-snow-storm Saturday morning here in Toronto.  

I have been sitting by my window for the past hour, looking out at the freshly fallen snow in my backyard, reveling in its beauty.  The scene is gently illuminated by the reflected lights of the city, softly bouncing off the clouds.  

The scene is so exquisite, so peaceful.  I feel like I'm looking at a picture from a storybook.  As the light grows slowly, I notice myself wishing it were still dark so I could enjoy this peace a little longer.  It feels like the whole world is sleeping.  My mind knows that's not true, but my body and spirit feel the calm, quiet beauty of the surroundings.  

The street I live on is still snow-covered, and the trees and bushes are adorned with a decorative dressing of snow.  

This is one of my favourite parts of winter.  And, I am reminded about how easy it is to miss winter's beauty in a big city.  Everything around us - from the news media to the hustle and bustle of big city life - directs us toward the inconvenience of a large snowfall, and the slushy mess that can often follow on the streets and sidewalks when the temperatures rise above freezing in the days following a storm.  

But, today, right now, that's the last thing on my mind.  To life's little joys.