Before the age of seventeen, I only remember having one snow day in south Alabama. Weather forecasters predicted a dusting to one inch of snow, which led to a shopping frenzy across the whole county. Woodsheds were emptied. Tractors were summoned. Milk and bread were secured, and dogs were allowed on the porch. On the snow day we received a record two inches of snow! The entire county came to a sliding halt. School was cancelled, and my sister and I celebrated by building a ten inch snowman. Since that time I have encountered ice storms in Florida, over two foot blizzards in Indiana with blowing snow, and mountain snow in Virginia. Every area has one thing in common – winter weather interrupts our normal plans in a magnificent way. Schools close. Churches close. Even malls close. Gatherings get cancelled. Rulers get tested. Neighbors meet over snow shovels and become amateur meteorologists. And everyone is acutely aware that we are not the ones who are in control of this