Dream Snow

Listen if you prefer…

Eric and I divide and alternate nighttime duties, with one of us doing dishes while the other does bedtime for both girls. Clara and Nora share a room – and on my bedtime nights I read one of them 2-3 books (depending on length, lateness of the hour, and my own fortitude to resist infinite requests for one more book) and then I read to the other (the same-same number of books, because, well…you know). Then I turn out the lights and sing them each a few songs. Whomever got books first gets songs second.

When they’re really tired, sometimes the second-song daughter is asleep by the time I get to her. Usually I still snuggle in anyhow and sing softly.

The other night, Nora was on the first-book-second-song side of the rotation and appeared to be slumbering when I arrived to sing her songs. She was starfished in her bed leaving no room for me, so I planned to give her a hug and kiss her forehead, padding out of the room without disturbing her.

When I leaned down to hug her though, her arms drifted up in that involuntary-reflex-air-piano-playing way of babies. I could see her in the soft glow from the nightlight across the room and as her arms floated toward me, a huge grin spread across her face, her cheeks squeezing toddler crow’s feet into the corners of her eyes. Then she wrapped her arms around my neck, pulled me close, and said,

“I’m dreaming it’s snowing and Santa is here.”

My heart melted. Nora was only 2 the last snowy winter we lived in Leadville and has not seen snow since we moved to Kenya. So whether her dream snow derived from the ubiquitous images of Santa in the snowy North Pole or from some sort of early core memory or because snow is magic falling from the sky, or some combination of those factors, I don’t know. But I feel it too. I miss snow. For all of those reasons.

“I love you Nora Bug,” I said and let her return to her dream, wishing I could join her to catch a snowflake on my tongue.

Thanks for reading & Happy Holidays to you!

❤️Becca

PS - We’re off camping in Kenya for the holidays. See you in 2025!