It’s March. Here in Maryland, our snow season is officially behind us. Finally,
I can celebrate my survival of another icy, threatening Winter, and look forward to the warmer days ahead, filled with Spring’s beautiful colors.
As I grow older, I have to admit, I enjoy the idea of a snowstorm more than its messy reality, and my weary bones are all too easily intimidated by the daunting task of lifting endless shovelfuls of very heavy, wet slush.
And yet, I’m still enchanted by the beauty of these six-sided crystals which only Mother Nature is capable of producing. After a big snowfall, my inner child never fails to lure me into scooping up a handful of that white fluff, pressing it together to form a palm-sized globe, gently dropping it to the ground, and rolling it until it grows into a giant white snowball.
Making oversize snowballs is a very fulfilling experience. It teaches us how we can start with something small and work at it until it gains momentum and becomes something big, impressive, or even monumental. After all, most things we do in life start out through baby steps, including writing and making friends.
When I penned my first column for The Santa Monica Star almost 18 years ago, I was scared. I wasn’t sure how readers would react to my words and ideas. I didn’t know if I had the ability to become a writer. Luckily for me, I had plenty of support and encouragement from those around me, especially Diane, my publisher, Mark, my husband, my children, and friends. So I kept on working at it.
Through the years, one column grew into ten, ten columns grew into a hundred. And, now I have written and published more than 200. My writing career
has brought the publication of my first book, as well as many essays, short stories, poems, and opinion pieces. The momentum of the snowball effect is still going strong.
Along the way, I have found new friends – passionate, loving, and supportive friends, one at a time. For someone who was once shy and quiet, I now have more friends than I ever expected.
I may be scared of cold Winters and big snowfalls, but I will always love snowflakes, and use them to make giant snowballs, reminding myself of how their wisdom works in my life.
Relections From The East Column
By Qin Sun Stubis
You can always reach me at qstubis@gmail.com, or visit me at QinSunStubis.com. You can find a copy of my book, Once Our Lives, online at Amazon.com
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