Let it Snow

I wish it would snow. Chicago’s unseasonably spring like December unsettles me.

I’m not looking forward to slogging through unshoveled sidewalks when I walk my dog. Or losing parking places at crowded strip malls. Or salting the sidewalk at church.

But I would love a blanket of clean, white snow to cover everything. Like the plants in my front yard that are long dead but not cut back. The leaves that fell after my final mow. The piles of dirt from the utility work being done all over Northbrook. Even trashcans look better in the snow.

Snow would not improve the state of my desks in my home or in my office. It would only make it harder to find things and make the papers soggy. Snow wouldn’t work for laundry either.

Snow wouldn’t cover my Christmas crankiness. I don’t suppose it would subdue politicians’ crazy rants. Snow would make city streets look like a winter wonderland for a moment, but would do nothing to stop gun violence. It would make life harder for those for whom life is already a challenge.

But snow would give me a moment to pause and see the world with new eyes. Patio furniture would put on top hats. Bare trees would shimmer under street lights. Hard edges would all be softened. It would look quieter.

Snow wouldn’t change the world. But it would change our perception of it.

Enjoy these photos offered by friends when I asked: