It was the first snowfall of the year. I gazed up at the grey sky and smiled, snow falling onto the bare skin of my face and melting immediately. Tiny drops of water collecting, and then trailing like chilled tears down my cheeks. Winter had always been my favorite season. I took a deep breath of the crisp afternoon air, and surveyed the white wonderland surrounding me. Tree limbs were heavy with damp snow, every so often I would hear a crash in the woods-snow sliding off a branch that couldn’t handle the weight. A land covered in fresh snow had always been my favorite sight, everything looked so fresh and clean, and that was a display I longed for, given how chaotic my life felt lately.
I lay down in the 5 inches of ice crystals, not caring that it was soaking through the fabric of my pants and chilling my skin. I felt free; like I had no cares in the world. I closed my eyes to the bright, white world around me and let myself relax. I must have looked absurd laying motionless in the middle of that field in 5 inches of snow, but I was at peace with my existence in that moment. I knew that everything in my life would turn out just fine, because there was no other way. I must have lain there for half an hour, meditating in that frozen meadow. When I finally stood to walk back to my house, I could barely feel my legs. To feel what I felt out there, though, to feel that wave of complete tranquility, it was worth the stinging I felt in my legs as my blood began to pump at a normal rate once more. I knew I was ready to face the world again.
