Yesterday, Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his hole to foreshadow six more weeks of winter. A few years ago, my reaction would have been “hrrrrumph!” The older I got, the more I grew to dislike winter. The cold, the snow, the mess and the long days—when will it ever end! I found myself wishing the winter months away dreaming of the coming of spring.

 However, now I have started to view winter through the eyes of my young daughter. Her enthusiasm for snowfalls bring me back to my childhood and get me thinking about how I use to love winter just as my daughter does. Instead of complaining when I wake up to a new blanket of snow, I see the excitement in my daughter’s eyes and it spreads to me. I now look forward to weekends spent outside enjoying the snow. As an adult I forgot just how much fun snow can be. We can go sledding on the local hill, maybe try our luck skating or just go out and make a snowman in the yard. There are limitless options for fun!

My daughter’s excitement for life (even during long, cold winter Minnesota days) made me realize there is a certain magic that we lose as we grow older. We look at everything differently and tend to see things only for what they actually are and not what they could be. We don’t take the time to stop and enjoy what is around us anymore. We move through life at extraordinary speed sometimes missing all the little, special things.  Maybe we should all try to bring some of that childhood magic back into our lives to lighten our hearts and brighten our smiles!

-Jane Tomasetti

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