New England is experiencing record snowfall this month, topping 100 inches. As I write, the blizzard is raging outside, dumping an additional foot plus on top of the several feet already on the ground from the last 4 or 5 storms within a few weeks.
In a recent Facebook conversation about our collective Post Traumatic Snow Disorder, a friend was extolling the virtues of snow tires. I responded:
I like driving in snow. Without snow tires. It forces me to actually slow down, and fully let go of any notion of hurry. I slow at yellow lights, let others go first at intersections, and stop for the trudging pedestrians making their way through the snow banks. It becomes almost Zen-like. I think that people driving SUV's with snow tires at full normal speed are making things more dangerous for others.
Yesterday, as I was driving in an inch or two of slippery stuff, it occurred to me that this description is similar to the way many parents of developmentally delayed children describe their parenting journey. Slowing down and ignoring other people's timetables can be liberating. The joy these parents describe in celebrating their children's milestones -- whenever they are reached -- is not unlike the inner peace I experience when my car whispers along the winter wonderland, knowing that the safety I create for myself and my passengers by slowing down also creates a safe place for other vehicles and pedestrians.
It reminds me that when I am driving my "SUV's with snow tires" -- my oh-so-brilliant children (dare I say, "special snowflakes"..?) -- that I should likewise take the time to both enjoy the journey and make sure that my passage in the world is a positive experience for others, as well.
#JDAMblogs
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