Is There Enough Snow to Shovel?

[331 words] Several years ago I recall having awakened from my slumber to find that it had snowed a little while I had slept. It was just a ground dusting, but snow nonetheless. As I do every morning, I prepared myself for the day ahead, then I went in to get my children up and ready for school. As I woke my son, I informed him that it had snowed overnight. He immediately jumped up out of bed full of energy and excitement. As he rushed to get his school clothes on, he looked up at me and asked something that most children his age would have never asked Instead of asking, “Has school been canceled or delayed?” he asked, “Is there enough snow for me to shovel?” He was not looking to get out of something, nor was he seeking a reason to go back to bed. He assessed…