When I was a kid, I used to beg for snow days. The night before a big storm, I used to make sure every ritual and superstition was in place before I went to bed. Wearing my PJ’s inside out, sleeping with a spoon under my pillow, even flushing ice cubes down the toilet, in hopes for a phone call from my elementary school principal. His voice was automated of course, like some kind of common core robot.
Anyway, snow days used to be great, but today I realized that not everything, not even the fun of having a frozen day off from school, lasts. When I got an email last night saying classes were cancelled, I was excited initially. However, after the thought of more work, rescheduled midterms, and the three papers I still had due by the end of this week came to mind, I quickly realized that my “fun snow days” are over.
Ten years ago, the only reason I would have cried on a snow day would have been if someone knocked down my snowman or pelted me in the face with a snowball, but after seeing myself almost break down in my dorm, where I was confined thanks to the blizzard, over my work, I had to stop and take a step back.
Everyone has to grow up, that's inevitable. But when you actually first begin to see how growing up changes your life, it can be a little uncomfortable. Today, I realized that although growing up can suck, it’s a part of life. Unfortunately, snow days don’t last forever. They melt away, just like childhood does.