First Snowfall

Snow!!! I exclaimed as snow slowly fell last Thursday. I was going home in the rain when suddenly the "rain" seemed to float lightly in the air. My friend P.A. sent me a message earlier that it might snow that night, so it was such a delight when I realized that I was seeing snow.

It was my first time to see real snow up close. Sure, I have made snow out of cotton, white paper and glue almost every December when I was a child. I have shaken a dozen snow globe paperweights to make snow glitters swirl. I have seen all those puffy white flocking on Christmas trees. I have touched fake snow from a snow-maker machine. But this was my first genuine snow. Snow that precipitated gracefully from the sky.

I examined the curious icy crystals that fell on my arm, rushed into the apartment and sent text messages to loved ones back home. Then I stood watching by the window, mesmerized at the snow falling, thought briefly about snowflake patterns and Whoville and the Grinch, amazed that I was actually seeing things that I have only seen in movies, books, pictures and postcards.

Another first for Bootsie. I thought to myself. A long way from my tropical country, I have had many firsts here in Geneva. First time to set foot on European soil. First time to be in another continent. First time to pick cherries from a tree, first time to eat blackberries from the side of the road. First time to taste this and that. First time to try this and that. And when one is in a different country and the language is different from one's own, even the most mundane task becomes strange or challenging. I had a lot of learning first times, like my first time to buy groceries, first time to ride the tram on my own, first time to go somewhere alone when all I knew was to say "bonjour" and "merci". And one of the things I learned from those first times is that you can go a long way with just a charming smile and saying "bonjour" and "merci".

Merci. Yes, I have a lot to be thankful for. On Saturday when everything was blanketed in white, my American friend Danny invited P.A. and me for a belated Thanksgiving dinner. P.A. and I walked to his place with snow falling non-stop. It was like we were in one big freezer. On the way, I made a tiny deformed snowman, we had a small snowball fight, and I stuck out my tongue to taste snow. People were stranded, a bus overturned, and cars reportedly skidded out of control... but everything looked beautiful. For me, it was a winter wonderland. It was like ice cream and halo-halo everywhere. I especially loved the smooth "snowfields" and the way dark branches of trees were lined with white snow.

And so, after we ate the Thanksgiving turkey on that snowy day, each guest shared what they were thankful for. I am thankful for a loving family, P.A., good friends, work, for the many good things that are coming my way. I am thankful for God's provision -- even for the winter boots that P.A. bought two years ago which she never wore and now, perfectly fits me. I am thankful for the dinner where we were reminded that we do have a lot to thank God for -- the people around us, good health, protection from harm, talents, peace...

And of course, I thank God for my first snowfall -- for beautiful wonders, for many learning opportunities, and for many firsts to come. #