Snow Day

The scenery surounding me could not have been of this world. Trees, bushes, grass and empty play equiptment coated in a layer of snow making the earth sound proof and pristine; the world at its quietest. Soft flakes drifted down to land on my hair as softly as an angel alights to earth, leaving soft, wet kisses where the frozen droplets would melt.

The only sound in my world was that of my dog, Baskin, running ahead of me and throwing the snow every which way. He couldn't mess up the scene, but only make it more perfect. The black streak of lab puppy with his unbridled enthusiasm instilled in me a longing for simplicity in life. A longing for the play of existance to end. A longing for knowing that I wasn't acting through all of creation. A longing for the snow to stay.

Baskin suddenly turned around and dropped into a play bow, leaving his back end up in the air, tail wagging with all its might. The light in his eyes never ceases to amaze me and this day was no exception. A look of knowledge, understanding and acceptance for the good and bad looked back at me from the puppy who had no idea he was so wise. All he knew was that he wanted to play. So, I finally gave in.

We fell to chasing each other, taking turns as all nice children should do. First me chasing him to tap him lightly on the rump or side and then he chased me until he could jump up and touch my back. I was laughing and breathing so hard by the end that I had forgotten the cold. I'm not sure that it had ever bothered Baksin. No amount of cold could make us move from the spot that we had flopped into once the players had wearied. I wrapped myself tightly around the furry warmth that was lying next to me and I started to cry.

Why couldn't every day be a snow day?

A day where the covering of snow created the perfect world that I wanted to occupy. A day where you can't hide in darkness because of the gargantuan amount of white. A day where the world is quiet and life stands still for an hour while you run with a puppy. A day where you don't have to live in a world of make-believe because the world that you occupy is even better.

I'm not sure how long I cried. Baskin turned his head to me causing him to bend his neck at an awkward angle,but he didn't seem to care. He lapped at my face with his warm tounge to comfort me and then had to turn his head back around before he lost circulation to it. The feeling of cold on my cheek once his tounge was gone left me horridly aware and cold. It had started to rain.

Looking around, I noticed that the snow was already starting to melt on the grass and I was soaking from a mixture of melted snow and cruel, cold rain. I stood up and began to shiver as Baskin followed my lead and shook himself off as best as he could. The rain was maddening. It was taking away my wonerdland. But dreams can't last forever.

I began walking home and Baskin obiediantly began to lope on ahead of me. After only a few steps, he turned to me and dropped agian into his play bow, leaving his back end up in the air, tail wagging with all its might. The rain meant nothing to him. Why should it mean something to me?

The smile that I gave him was wide, accepting, understanding and full of the knowledge that can only be given by something as unassuming as a puppy; and, as much as a dog can, he smiled back. So what if the snow was physically here or not? Any day can be a snow day. Let the world become a white place of wonder where the only thing that needs doing is playing a game of tag with your puppy.