Uncovered Beauty

Posted on January 4, 2012 by


At this time last year, I was drowning in snow.  Every weekend I slogged, dragged, shoveled, pushed and slipped my way around the Sierras during a record setting snowfall season.  Snow was the center of every conversation and the focus of every day.  I grumbled, complained and wished it would just go away.  

This winter, however, is a completely different story.  Dirt lines the path to our cabin, and rocks and trees jut out of the mountainside.  Lack of snow is the topic of every conversation now, and the gloom and doom its absence brings to our local ski resort and mountain communities.  Everyone whines and gripes and wishes it would come back.

As I spent another afternoon in the lodge, preferring a table and chair to skiing in snow that sticks like butter, I decided I needed to reframe my outlook and headed outside.  The lack of snow makes taking a walk much easier than ever, and as I headed away from the lodge and out of the parking lodge, I found myself breathing more deeply and seeing things I had never noticed before.

Snow does a good job of covering things up.  It hides imperfections, blankets trash, and mulches out the summer debris.  Everything small disappears, covered by something so soft, pure, and beautiful that most people don’t even notice what is missing.
Everything has changed this year.  Nothing is hidden.  The baby conifers don’t have to struggle to stay upright.  The mule ear leaves, brown and withered, line the sledding hillside.  The rocky peaks stand majestic and sharp, and the creeks and riverbeds glow green and mossy.


Wandering down a path I had never seen before, I suddenly realized the new beauty that surrounded me.  What last year was shrouded in white, today gleams rich with earthy greens, browns and greys.  I began to think about all that I had missed last year, and how much there was to see with this reframed perspective.  Leaving the path to go deeper into the forest I stopped, inhaled, and looked back at the mountain.  It began to snow.  
Instinctively I turned towards the warmth of the lodge, then paused, and continued down the road.  Once uncovered, I wasn’t going to miss this chance for beauty.  
It’s all in how you look at it.

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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Comments: 14

  • Afroglobe.Net

    January 5, 2013

    Hello! I’ve been reading your site for a while now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from Houston Tx! Just wanted to mention keep up the good job!

    Reply
  • mamawolfe

    January 7, 2012

    Hi Megan! Thank you! I will definitely send along some additional links…I think we have lots in common, too!
    Hi Spanish4kiddos-I agree about perspective…sometimes it’s hard to change, but usually worth it!
    Hi Bella-Thank you….isn’t it amazing how hard it can be to adjust that tiny bit sometimes?

    Reply
  • Bella

    January 7, 2012

    MamaWolfe, I think you’ve reminded us of a valueable lesson in this post–the way you look at things pretty much determines the outlook. To think that if we simply adjusted our perspective a tiny bit at times, life would be more beautiful, less painful, less stressful. Thank you for the reminder! 🙂

    Reply
  • spanish4kiddos

    January 6, 2012

    Our perspective changes so much when we look at some things in a different light. Great post and congrats on your mention on WikiMommy 🙂

    Reply
  • meaganfrank

    January 6, 2012

    This is EXACTLY the kind of link I want to see at the Where’d you Grow Wednesday…I do hope you’ll contribute often. You and I have a lot of perspective in common…
    MMF Choosing to Grow

    Reply
  • mamawolfe

    January 6, 2012

    Thank you, Ms. Minnesota Writer! I love the idea of looking at life through a lens!

    Reply
  • One Minnesota Writer

    January 5, 2012

    This is a lovely reminder that we can change that lens through which we see our world anytime and find something worth looking at.

    Reply
  • My Inner Chick

    January 5, 2012

    —I love your perspective on life. Very profound post. Xx

    Reply
  • Courtney Baxtron

    January 5, 2012

    Oh how this makes me miss the PNW (specifically the cascade mountains!). I used to do seasonal work at the ski resorts there…and it was all about the powder. We haven’t really had snow yet here in NYC…and I actually do miss it (a little).

    Reply
  • Sarah

    January 4, 2012

    Beautiful imagery in this post. Even bare winter trees have their own beauty. I am looking forward to the beauty of a winter wonderland with the land covered in puffy white snow though!

    Reply
  • Marisa Frank

    January 4, 2012

    Great post! I always try to find the bright side of every situation. It crazy how different the winter can be from year to year. I live in Oregon and the front page of the paper is talking about how this is one of the driest wet seasons and they had to close one of the ski areas.

    Reply
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