Today a nor’easter barrels into Connecticut with the force of a bully. The aftermath will deposit 10-18 inches of snowy white powder on every conceivable surface.

Today horrific highway conditions show tractor trailers jackknifed and cars stranded on streets and roadways. The danger is pervasive, there is nowhere to go, no errand that can be run.

Yet peering out the window is magnificent. It’s beautiful and peaceful.

The snow is magical for me. As a child growing up in Brooklyn, my cousin and I would climb atop ten foot mounds hoisted on sidewalks by Department of Sanitation trucks to clear the streets. Those snow-day treks were adventures in exploration and physical prowess ending in warm baths and hot chocolate. Later,  I learned to ski and then drive in those slippery conditions.

The woman versus nature theme was emboldening and humbling. Nature with her irrational and random powers to pull and harm and Wendy with her human frailties and mental capacities wanting to overcome what might stand in her way.

Today I have no such need or desire. I stay inside where it is warm, where it is safe. Where food will satisfy hunger, heat will satisfy warmth, and where walls and windows are protection from the elements.

Today, I am happy to be still and see the beauty from within.