my favorite season
the first time snow sticks on the ground, watching from the window at night how the snow piles, and at dawn you leave your front door, transported to the Winter Wonderland, where your lawn becomes the Winter Queen’s Palace. the night before Christmas, unable to sleep knowing that Santa could jump down the chimney at any moment, if you could just outrun your drowsy you’ll be able to see him eating the cookies laid out on the mantle. waking up the next morning, running down the stairs to check under the tree, opening that Wii you’ve been asking from your mom for months. Santa’s wrapping paper looks just like yours. unending anticipation of impending fantasy, into the looking glass we go, a momentary fairytale giving you respite from the mundane. a season of love, escape, magic. toasty hot chocolate after a day of snowman building.
too cold and biting in the mornings. makes it hard for you to get out of bed, but you have first period in 20. midterms around the corner, but no worries: winter break is just next week. extra layers during the brisk walks around the uninsulated hallways, snowball fights in the courtyard during lunch, playing Christmas carols with your shitty orchestra during off periods. Harry Potter movie marathons with your ragtag friends. sense of accomplishment knowing you’re halfway done. a nice change in atmosphere, the manifestation of progress promising a reward for the tough times. the holiday cheer neutralizing your simmering anxiety. your personal battery pack to get through the year.
waking up in the dark at 4PM. missing the sun and hoping to catch it before you sleep. piled takeout boxes stinking up your kitchen. layers of white sticking at the edges of your windowsill, was it supposed to snow today? mindless scrolling that stops becoming so mindless when you see that the magic of winter has never been extinguished for some people. leaving your apartment in your pajamas, Union Square sells hot chocolate at this time of the year. it’s too sweet and too sticky but you still sip from the cup. looking at the other kitschy overpriced shops as a kitschy overpriced hat catches your eye. your head feels warmer on the way back to your den. maybe the magic of winter was alive after all.
