by B.J. Hamrick, RTF Staff Writer

It’s a bright sunny day outside. I listen intently as small drops of liquid trickle off the roof into a pile of cold gray slush beneath my window. Tiny rivers of water stream down the street. The warm sun shines on a petite snowman in my yard. He has melted into a two-foot blob with a sadly faded carrot for a nose.

I feel a twinge of sadness as I watch this winter wonderland begin to disappear. Sometimes I wish that I could keep the glittering snow for just a while longer. But I know that no matter how hard I try, I am
not capable of sustaining winter.

I know because I tried once.

It was a warm sunny day much like this one when I tried to preserve a piece of winter for myself. Gathering a little ball of snow from my front yard, I sneaked it into the laundry room and hid it in the back of my freezer. Hours later, I was very disappointed when I opened the freezer door – only to discover that my precious snowball had turned into a ball of pure ice. My attempt to preserve winter had failed.

No matter how much I loved the snow, I could not forbid the entrance of spring.

So it is with our lives. Things change. People change.

Soon, I will be leaving my college years behind, and stepping into a world of new life circumstances. I think I will approach this season of my life a bit differently.

Perhaps this time I’ll let the snow melt, and enjoy warm feeling of sunshine on my face.