Growing up in a country with a temperature that seldom dropped below 100 degrees should make the sight of snow something to dread.
But for me, I had mixed feelings. As much as I love the hot weather and dreaded living in a state where it snows like crazy, I wanted to experience seeing snow every morning when I wake up. I wanted to walk in it and play with it like I had seen in movies.
My curiosities lead me to Utah, 7,247 miles away from my beloved warm country Nigeria. So far I have experienced only two winters—and I’ve hated it. Another winter was definitely something I did not look forward to.
When it started getting dark at 5:30 p.m., I knew the dreaded winter was drawing near. At that time I knew my wardrobe needed some serious help, and I knew I had to change my tires to get ready for the white stuff.
But when Thanksgiving came and I could still wear a shirt without bundling myself up with sweaters and jackets, I was happy, wishing and praying that the snow would hold off a little longer.
By the time Christmas lights were up and there was still no presence of snow, I had mixed feelings. I couldn’t imagine Christmas without snow. Especially considering the fact that my brother was visiting the U.S. for the first time and his dream of a white Christmas wasn’t going to come true. As children we grew up singing Bing Crosby’s “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” even though there was no hope of a white Christmas in Nigeria.
That dream had come through for me twice, but for my brother, this winter was his only chance. I kept my fingers crossed hoping that the week before Christmas would make up for all the snow we had missed.
When Christmas came and there was no snow, I got distressed. At that point, I didn’t have mixed feelings anymore; I was devastated. I actually prayed for snow. I got angry whenever I stepped out into the cold and saw no snow. I did not see the need to wear sweaters and jackets anymore. I anxiously watched the meteorologist everyday and eagerly listened to the radio while driving to see if there would be a chance of a snowstorm.
By the time it got to January and my brother had not seen snow, my patience was running out.
But my joy knew no bounds when a couple of days ago I stepped outside and saw snow on my doorstep! Oh how great was my joy!
Even though I’ve had terrible experiences with winters in the past, I now understand the phrase “You don’t appreciate what you have ‘til its gone.” Oh dear snow, I have learned my lesson, please come back. Let’s enjoy your presence as we normally do during this period.
By Gloria Kajo
Staff Writer
