Leaving my Footprints in the Snow
Another month of 2025 gone. I had hoped the strangeness of the flow of time would never be the same as it was during the pandemic, but here we are, with January taking years and February taking blinks. It seems like, instead of minutes, we’ve been marking time in the amount of tension in our muscles and the soreness of our clenched jaws. I’m trying to move towards other units of measure when I can: the number of times I’ve laughed, or stopped to breathe in the smell of rain, or listened to the crows outside my window.
Portland had our first snowfall of the year over Valentine’s Day, and I am grateful for the days it gave me to stop and breathe.
I didn’t grow up with snow, except for one half-remembered Massachusetts Christmas, where there was just enough powder to construct a tiny snowman on the hood of my grandfather’s car.
I don’t know if it’s the Southerner, the kid, or the writer in me that’s so enthralled by it. But as I watched it go from clear skies and streets to curb-high banks in a matter of hours, I could hardly wait to go outside.
There’s something about the hush of fresh snow, the way it rests on the knobs and branches of trees, the way it’s easier to pick out the birds flitting through the woods, that kept me walking long past the time I normally would’ve retreated inside.
I walked the normal paths. I walked away from them too. Boot and paw prints decorated the unexpected trails, a record of those who’d come before me to get a closer view of snow-lined creeks and fallen trees, things we’d have passed by any other day. And I wondered how often we follow in someone’s footsteps without realizing it.
Though I was by myself in the quiet woods, I did not feel alone. It reminded me of the way it felt to read something that truly touched my heart.
I became a writer because books have left a record on my soul. They gave me friends, and magic, and hope when the world was lonely and cruel. I’ve always wanted to continue that favor. Thinking about trails, and the passage of time, and my birthday coming up soon…I’ve been working towards some things. I’m not quite ready to share yet, but there will be some exciting announcements coming soon. For now, I’ll just say I want to make this the year I leave my mark on something more permanent than snow. I hope you’ll join me for the ride.