Waiting for Snow

Pin It I awoke this morning, and when I looked out the window I found myself barraged with feelings of nostalgia; I gazed out into a world arrayed in spotless white.

I remembered the first snowfalls from when I was just a boy...

Bundling up in a warm marshmallow coat, with scarf and mittens; anxious to rush out and capture the first flakes upon my tongue. After all, you had to catch it from the sky or you might pick up a handful with snow spiders already in it. Ah, the glistening whiteness which made the entire world new, and the familiar become less than so.

The first snowfall—there’s something truly magical about it, isn’t there?

As I tore my eyes from the window, I fumbled for my camera to capture the moment. But alas, the moment was not to be captured with a photograph, but instead with a snapshot of memory.

So, I share this memory with you with the words and music of John McCutcheon, and his beautifully-written image, Waiting for Snow:




The nights are so long
They shorten the day
Over the mountains
The sky’s turning gray
The geese all fly southward
As homeward they go
I’m sitting here waiting
And waiting for snow

Waiting for snow
The first of the year
I just can’t believe
That it almost is here
Like cousins and Christmas
And places to go
Nothing takes longer
Than waiting for snow

Waiting for sledding
Waiting for fun
Piled high around me
Bright mountains of sun
Waiting for snowballs
For shouting and laughter
For sliding down hillsides
With hot chocolate after

Waiting for snow
The first of the year
I just can’t believe
That it almost is here
Like cousins and Christmas
And places to go
Nothing takes longer
Than waiting for snow

The longer I’m waiting
The longer it takes
`Til I stick out my tongue
To catch the first flakes
Wash your face in the snow
You’ll be pretty all year
Look out the window
It’s finally here

Waiting for snow
Waiting for you
To bundle me up
Like you always do
Your glove in my mitten
Together we’ll go
To make footprints and angels
In our brand new snow

Waiting for snow
The first of the year
I just can’t believe
That it almost is here
Like cousins and Christmas
And places to go
Nothing takes longer
Than waiting for snow

The nights are so long
They shorten the day
Over the mountains
The sky’s turning gray
The geese all fly southward
As homeward they go
I’m sitting here waiting
And waiting
And waiting
And waiting