The Snow Angel

Here in New England, we have some winters when we are buried in snow, and then there are others when we escape with very little. The kid in me prefers the snowy winters. I still love to wake up and be greeted by a landscape of frosted trees and drifts of sparkling white.

Of course, snow means shoveling – sometimes lots of shoveling.

When I was a kid, we shoveled our own snow and then were delighted to roam the neighborhood in search of other walks to shovel. We knew there would probably be a few dollars to be earned – and that was all the encouragement we needed! Kids don’t seem to do that anymore, at least not in our neck of the woods. Over the years, Sir Beads has done the lion’s share of shoveling here. He still does – even though I have tried in vain to convince him to sign up for a plowing service.

We had a sizable storm a couple of weeks ago.

After breakfast, Sir Beads was getting ready to go out and shovel when the doorbell rang. We could see the pompom of a knit hat through the window but had no idea who it could be. We opened the door to find a girl of 14 yrs., or so, with a snow shovel over her shoulder. She smiled brightly and asked enthusiastically if she might shovel our driveway. I winked at Sir Beads and he immediately understood that I was “saying” – how can we refuse this very industrious young lady?

She was a hard worker. The snow was heavy but she was undaunted. Every so often, she wisely took little breaks to rest and assess her progress. Midway through, she asked for a snowbrush to do the car! It was a treat to see a kid with such a wonderful work ethic.

When the job was finished, we rewarded her handsomely. After thanking us graciously, she turned and skipped down the walk, suddenly raising both arms – shovel and all – high into the air in a motion that meant: YESSSSS!

At that point, I’m not sure who was more excited – our “Snow Angel” or us! 🙂

Hugs,

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Comments

The Snow Angel — 3 Comments

  1. Well, here in northern Indiana we ususally have about 78 inches of snow each season. I have lived in this house since 1976 and have NEVER once had anyone (except a guy with a plow on his truck) come to the door and ask if they could shovel our snow. I’d take the deal in a heartbeat. Of course between Terry and the boys, they kind of like to get the Wheelhorse out and plow with our little tractor…but still…I’d never turn down a kid with a shovel.

    Kids don’t come around asking for work any more. We did that all the time when we were kids, proudly earning a buck for babysitting, cutting grass and shoveling snow. My own grandkids would not DREAM of doing it, though they have, very often actually, cleared sidewalks for the old man across the street as a kind gesture. What makes kids tick? Don’t know but I guess mine are ticking ok!
    Have a great day and enjoy your cold as I count down to SUMMER!!
    x, Carol

  2. I love that you gave the young lady enough money to make her day. That is wonderful. We have not had enough snow in the last 2 years to get out a shovel, and with the driveway I have no child in the world would want to shovel it.

    The college semester stared this week and I have 5 education classes, but they will be fun too. Looking forward to warmer temps tomorrow, and then the bottom drops out next week.

    Have a great weekend and stay warm.
    Kelly

  3. awww…what a wonderful story! I really enjoyed that! Growing up in West Texas, we prayed for snow, especially for Christmas. Sometimes, our prayers were answered and when it snowed, we played like crazy in it! Just about every yard on the block had a snowman or two. The snow never lasted more than a few days though…so there really wasn’t much shoveling going on. Now that I’ve lived in the Northwest for so long, I’ve gotten used to all the snow. Craig usually does the shoveling, although it would be nice to have one of those snow angels. lol
    Thanks for sharing your sweet story!
    HUGS!
    Brenda

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