There’s no day like a snow day, in my opinion. You don’t have to go to school, and outside turns into a wintery playground for sledding, building snowmen, and, best of all, snowball fights. I’m not sure there’s a better feeling than shaping the perfect snowball on a weekday during winter—especially when you don’t have to do schoolwork—and then hurling it at a sibling or friend. Despite all the fun, it wasn’t uncommon for disputes to break out, and snow days could end up wasted because we chose to argue instead of enjoying the snow.
I distinctly remember one snow day where everything came together for an epic snowball fight. It was the perfect January day for middle school Ethan. No school for me or my siblings, and my cousins didn’t have school either, so we all met up for what promised to be an unforgettable day of winter fun. It started with some sledding down a hill, but before long, one thing led to another and we were split into two teams, building forts and preparing snowballs for what seemed to be the greatest snowball fight the world would never see. Eventually, one side attacked before the other was ready, which set things off on the wrong foot, but by then, the battle had begun. Snowballs flew left and right, and I took a few good hits to the face. I shook it off and fought on.
Then, someone rammed into my team’s fort, sparking a huge debate over whether that was even allowed. What had started as a fun snowball fight quickly turned into an argument. All of us were pretty competitive, so the idea of any unfair advantage was frustrating, but we were determined to win anyway we could. It looked like the fun snow day would end in a big argument, with bad attitudes all around, when my sisters—who I think were just tired of being hit with snowballs—reminded us that snow days like this didn’t come around often. They pointed out that we needed to quit arguing and start enjoying the moment together.
We, the cousins, had been so focused on winning the snowball fight that we lost sight of the bigger picture. But my sisters, whether just to stop the fighting or out of some wisdom, helped us realize that these moments didn’t come around often. We decided to end the snowball fight, put aside our differences, and do something else fun together. Since we still had that competitive spirit, we cleared a spot on a frozen lake to play some ice hockey. We spent the rest of the snow day enjoying ourselves, having so much fun we basically forgot about the argument because we chose to focus on having fun instead of arguing over things that didn’t matter.
In life—whether it’s a snow day or just a regular day at work or school—we can get upset over issues and problems that seem important at the moment. But when we choose to see the bigger picture and recognize that our days are limited, we can make the most of every opportunity and have a good time. The next time something frustrates you, try to put it into perspective, like a small snowball fight during a whole day of fun in the snow. You may find that the problems aren’t worth your time and that you can spend your energy on something more meaningful.
Enjoy your Snow Days,
Ethan Wolheter
Indiana FFA State President
