I’ve been following the news reports about the snow in Maryland very closely.  Fortunately, I can get their local channel news via the Internet.  It’s been an amazing weekend.  None of the post offices around the state were open on Saturday and no mail delivery!  You know it’s bad when the mail carriers are not out.  They had final totals of anywhere from 24″ to 33″ of HEAVY snow.  They call it the Blizzard of 2010.  I’ve experienced such extremes when I lived there…most recently was the Blizzard of ‘96 and there were a couple more I remember from earlier times.  It was NOT FUN!

 

    Yesterday, a friend of mine said that if we’d gotten that much snow down here, we’d be paralyzed for a couple of months.  Guess what?  She was exactly right.  If they weren’t prepared to handle the 8″ we got here last week, I can’t imagine what a couple of feet would do to us.  We also realize we’d be in such a distressed state because they don’t even have the equipment to handle such situations here.  We just don’t normally get snow like that.  The schools were closed all last week.  They went back one day only to get sent home 2 hours early.  Schools in 3 counties are still closed today!

 

    What amazed me equally as much as how much snow they got up there, was how friendly and helpful people have been.  Neighbors helping neighbors shovel driveways and walkways.  They’re also helping clear cars of snow so people can get out once the roads are cleared.  I have a neighbor in my complex who barely opens her mouth to speak and none of her three children speak to me.  Last Tuesday as I was trying to get out of my parking space, I was having trouble. There had not been any snow removal after the 8″ of snow the previous Friday and Saturday because they didn’t have the equipment.  The lady who barely speaks was coming home.  She saw I was having trouble and she came over to assist!  Amazing!  I was thoroughly surprised yet very thankful. 

 

    Why can’t people be so nice, kind and helpful every day?  Kindness doesn’t cost anything.  It would make a lot of difference in the world and we’d experience less violence all over the place.  It just makes sense.  Make a move to be kind to people every day, even when the sun isn’t shining and it’s cold outside.  God is the same every day.  He doesn’t change and we are to follow His example.  At least try.

© 2010 Francina I. Jamison