Gratitude

I read an article in the Toronto Star this week about something called Gratitude Journals . Oprah concept, but still, it gave me pause. Like most of us, I usually forget to catalogue the small and big things for which I'm thankful. This weekend, I broke character. I was very grateful for snow.

I've always hated winter. Those people who get excited about snow usually strike me as a bit suspect. It's a season of hibernation for me - sugar cravings and heavy duvets. I will even admit the embarrassing nugget that I take a hot water bottle to bed with me from pretty much September until May. This year though, I was determined to find the upside of winter.

We were invited to go winter camping this weekend at the Pinery. Not quite as hardcore as it sounds, it involved a heated hut (yurt) with bunkbeds. After some dithering, we finally agreed. Then we talked it up to the kids, and got excited about skiing, snowshoeing, skating, and tobogganing. Within days the trip however, the temperature soared and the snow all melted. So, not wanting to camp outside in slush with nothing to do, I found myself wishing for snow.

And as it turns out, I got lucky. The evening before our departure, it snowed. The morning of our departure, the ski trails reopened. And the whole time we were there we had sparkly fresh snow. The kids were giddy as they skied along the trails and shrieked down the toboggan hills. I had the chance to snowshoe along deserted trails, listen to the forest, spot a wild turkey, and go for a long solo ski (which justified the big bag of jalapeno kettle chips I polished off). And I caught myself many times this weekend being very thankful for the simplest parts of winter. It was lovely.

Now get me a box of chocolates, a duvet and a hot water bottle and wake me up when spring is here.