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FAMILY VALUES A Musing On Snow BY ELAINE STONE I love snow! Perhaps it was my early northeast upbringings. Maybe my winter arrival. Or my intolerance of high humidities/temperatures. My soul yearns for white. Perchance, it is the mother's heart, at my core, that sees its poetic simile and relevance. A gift from the heavens... "Behold, children are a gift of the LORD," the Bible speaks, in Psalm 127:3. Even if you believe differently, you have to admit, children are given. All are wired with capabilities, but that is no guarantee. Multitudes try, with little success. Like snow in winter, children are gifted into our world. When the waiting has ended... Preparations made; planning, waiting, wondering, pondering. Cherubs arrive in a blaze of glory. From first look, you are never the same. First cry, you report for duty. First touch, your heart is given over. First swaddle, overwhelming love. A glittering unknown world turned upside down, a living snow globe; a glorious happening. It is a birth of types... Nothing is sweeter than the freshness of a newborn. Silky soft skin, warm kissy necks, innocence. Life becomes firsts, milestones and our universe expands. We become new people called by new titles. Snow replenishes and nourishes. The white of winter assures a green spring: the birthplace of beginnings. I am not in charge... It changes everything... Perspectives change. Children with unique giftings leave marks. They touch lives, who touch lives, and on and on. Each matters and plays a part no other can replicate. Snowflakes remind me: though similar, there are no two alike. 20 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • January 2014 If we could, we would shelter, protect, and wage war to ensure safety and well-being. Yet, much is beyond our control. I've learned, if I were in charge, I would cosmically mess it up. The world covered in white reminds me: it is fine that I do not know everything. Beautiful pristine landscapes appear without even a nod of my consent; perfection.