Six Pomegranate Seeds

I’m always excited by snowfall.  By the first of October I’m straining at the window like a little kid to see the first flake fall.  The science of snow is amazing to me, but watching it fall and cover the earth, changing the landscape, creating new designs in nature…that’s thrilling.  I tell people that I was born in a snowstorm on the first day of winter.  Actually, that’s true.  The result of that auspicious beginning, according to my story, is that I love snow; my favorite environment is 27° and snowing.  I’ve been out in all types of snowfall, from the soft, large flakes that look like pieces of cloud floating gently to earth, to the crystal “throwing stars” that seem when driven by 45 mph winds to slice with ease through an LLBean parka, wind-guard vest, wool sweater, flannel shirt, and both layers of thermal and polypropylene underwear.  If I’m ready for it, I like every extreme.

One of the reasons that I appreciate this miracle is that it doesn’t really happen very often.  We don’t get many white Christmases no matter how many times we sing the song.  I’ve been “in school” for 54 years, so snow days are precious to me and always seem as rare as white buffalo.  After so many years, it’s a toss-up whether I like snowy days because I enjoy being out in the elements, or that one of my favorite things is sitting by the fire with a cup of coffee and a good book while the snow falls outside my window.

Years ago I developed a love for Greek mythology.  Some of the explanations for why things occur as they do in Nature are pretty funny, some are too far-fetched even for myth, yet others strike a chord in me with their complexity and beauty of theme.  Naturally, I was drawn to the story of Demeter and her daughter Persephone.  These two are like the middle of a spider web with filaments of attachment to other stories going in all directions.  Central for me, of course, was Persephone’s kidnapping by Hades and Demeter’s resulting rage.  I think the myth explains more than why we have six months of winter.  That first cold spell described by the story must surely be an explanation for the Ice Age.  No one knows for sure why it started or why it ended.  Someone stealing my child would make me want to freeze the buds off the olive trees, too.

This year I’ve been thinking often of Demeter and Persephone and Hades and the gang as I’ve watched the snow pile up over and over since the first week of December.  The October storm was a surprise…the kind I like.  I thought of Demeter pining for Persephone.  Her only child was gone, dragged into the Underworld by the ruler of the dead.  Awful!

The three days of vacation before Christmas were quite welcome.  I could hear Zeus pleading with Demeter to thaw things out.  The whole world was frozen over.  Nothing was growing as the Earth Mother pined for her daughter.

Then came the three days at Christmas that kept us from getting together with the whole family.  Persephone was sitting there, ignoring Hades and refusing to eat.  We had so much turkey and dressing left over that I’d love to have shared it with her since our sons barely made it and my brothers and their wives were snowed in miles and miles away.

Then we got three days that kept us from ending first semester on time.  She was getting hungry; Demeter was listening to Zeus, but she still refused to budge.  What’s her problem?  She can go visit.  I’ve got work to do!

Then I think we had a couple more days that kept us from starting second semester on time.  Zeus brokered a deal and made his offer to Hades.  If Persephone had eaten anything, she had to stay in the Underworld.  Are you kidding?  She’s a goddess!  Why should she need to eat anything, let alone pomegranate seeds!

The combination of all those days off caused us to lose two planned vacation days and add 20 minutes to the school day.

All I could think by then was, SPIT OUT THE DAMNED SEEDS!!

I still like snow, but I’ve had enough for now.