MEMOIR | LIFE | HEALTH
I Can Drive in the Snow Again
Thoughts on regaining independence despite my health problems
I wasn’t expecting snow.
The weatherman warned snow was coming on Friday, but I didn’t believe him. Winter had been a disappointment, at least for my kids. Day after day, my boys excitedly checked the weather forecast hoping for flurries. They got ice and wind instead.
It was 60 degrees and sunny a few days before the snowstorm hit. Two weeks prior, Punxsutawney Phil made his annual appearance with help from some human friends. I couldn’t remember if the groundhog saw his shadow that day, but it didn’t matter. I was convinced spring was rapidly approaching.
Spring didn’t get the memo, and I woke up to large flakes falling from the sky. My kids were thrilled. I was terrified.
I grabbed my phone and quickly dialed my son’s hematology office. His appointment was downtown, nearly an hour away, and I wasn’t sure we could navigate through the falling snow. Driving downtown was already stressful enough when the weather was nice.
Hold music blared through my phone’s speaker as I prayed that the office was closed. My hopes were crushed 10 minutes later when someone answered my call.
