by Kathy Philpott

Created on: January 24, 2009

Having taught my last class of the day, I raced to the photographers for a photo shoot. I donned my "evil fairy" costume, slapped on my false eye lashes and covered my nose and chin with silver glitter.

"Let's give them some cleavage, Kate! The Dads need a reason to see the show." After that request, the photographer snapped two more rolls of film.

We finished the shoot, despite a heated discussion pertaining to the photographer's obnoxious request. Traffic on the way home was a mess. People seemed pressed into the lanes of traffic struggling for position. They embraced their cell phones with pleading intensity. Traveling in my little car, I felt dwarfed by the many Land Rovers and Hummers. If not for the rain, I might have imagined I was traveling on the sands of the Serengeti. In my estimation, traveling anywhere during the holidays was unpleasant at best.

My usual fifteen minute drive home became a forty five minute game of "chicken". I picked up my mail at the apartment office and took the groceries in from my car.

Home proved to be another type of twilight zone. Joy had not unloaded the dishwasher or cleaned the cat box. Instead of heating up the healthy left overs as I suggested, Joy had decided to invite Mr. Cholesterol over for a feast of potato chips and cola.

Racing around, cleaning up and putting away the groceries while putting a load of laundry in, I remembered to take off my rain coat. Once again, Austin Powers held Joys attention. I decided to delay calling Guinness Book of Records until the morning. At least, I comforted myself with the fact that her homework was completed and ready for me to check.

My efforts to wash the glitter from my face proved futile. I was successful in depositing the silvery flecks into my nostrils and ears. It proved to be a racy look with my old flannel nightie. I kissed Joy goodnight, and resigned myself to book and bed. I fell asleep with my glasses on, but I managed to turn off the lights before I passed out completely.

Flashes of light jarred me from my solitude. Joy was standing at my bedroom window taking pictures.

"Mama, get up! Look! It's snowing" Joy said with thrilling intensity.

For ten, beautiful minutes, Joy and I sat on the edge of my bed looking out the window. Snow, a rare occurrence here, laced its fingers over the roof tops of the surrounding apartments. The snowflakes danced shamelessly in the lights of the parking lot. All was covered by a white glazed frosting of snow. Time seemed to slow. Grace engulfed us there on the edge of my bed. Joy put her head on my shoulder. My perspective changed. Reflecting upon the aggravations of the day, I realized they didn't matter. Nothing mattered but this precious moment. We sat together as silent witnesses to beauty in one of its purest forms. We were transfixed and peaceful within the icy breath of God.

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