In today’s fast paced technologically driven society we have all become victims. Victims of a world that is insistent upon doing everything faster. We have become slaves to distraction and captive to the feelings of insecurity. We all crave recognition and feel real lonely by ourselves. We have become so insecure afraid of not being in control.
So what happens?! Along comes a blizzard and we are thrown into a panic. We simply can’t cope. It’s Armageddon! No distraction, no recognition and definitely no control and we’re just not comfortable with that.
So what do we do if we desperately need the distraction, want the recognition and, most of all, crave the acceptance?
We vent!
But where can we vent on a crazy day like this?! Oh sure, the blogs. Let’s post comments knocking the mayor, ripping the Dept. of Sanitation, scolding the cops, berating the school that didn’t take my kid, and threatening to boycott Home Depot for not having any more rock salt.
Chill out and for once deal with your day off!
Y’know, as homo-sapiens there was a time in our history when we moved at nature’s pace totally submitting ourselves to the will of Hashem’s weather forecast. No, there was no advance notice to flood the stores and buy out every last shovel, bottle of milk and cappuccino cheese muffin. You woke up in the morning; you looked out the window and said rather candidly to your wife, “Honey, it looks like snow.”
(Pick up Roman Wishniak’s book for a shocking revelation of what it was to live life 75 years ago)
What a beautiful opportunity this winter wonderland has given us. A day to stop and marvel at the beauty of Hashem’s creation, a chance to rejuvenate and to realize that we are never in control so it’s much better to stop the complaining and enjoy the ride.
Here are 77 ways for you to kick back and enjoy the finer things in life. Feel free to add your own but whatever you do…shut off the Blackberry, slow down the soundtrack, take a deep breath and have a marvelous day!
- 1. Make a snowman with your kid. Yes, just like you used to do when you were a kid – carrot and all
2. How about an innocent snowball fight with your neighbor
3. Write that speech/vort you have been putting off writing
4. Take a minute to dwell on your life’s goals; where are you heading and how are you getting there?!
5. Bake some cookies (yes, dads you can, too)
6. Open a new sefer that you’ve never looked at before
7. Draw a maze for your kid
8. Shovel your walk/driveway
9. Play a game of Pictionary, always a lot of laughs
10. Roast some chestnuts
11. Help your wife do the laundry
12. Draw a picture
13. Learn some Chumash & Rashi
14. Clean the garage
15. Say Iggeres HaRamban
16. Help a neighbor clean their driveway
17. Make a bracha with extra kavana
18. Play tic-tac-toe with your kid
19. Cook up a pot of hot cocoa and throw in a marshmallow
20. Call/email/text a friend you haven’t seen in a while
21. Check on an elderly neighbor and invite them over for some of that hot cocoa
22. Call up Partners in Torah and offer to become a mentor
23. Teach your kid to play Chess/Checkers/Boggle (NOT on your Blackberry)
24. Share a cup of coffee with your wife
25. Catch up on your shnayim mikra
26. Close your facebook account
27. Help your neighbor dig out his car
28. Learn something interesting with your kid
29. Catch up on some work, with stress on the word “some”
30. Build an igloo. Yes the Eskimos actually live with snow year round with no Department of Public Works to blame
31. Make hot pretzels. Try drizzling sugar & cinnamon, yum!
32. Say Parshas Hamon
33. Try your hand at a new hobby
34. Take a couple of extra minutes to bentch with more kavana
35. Help your kids create an arts & crafts project
36. Learn a little mussar. Try Derech Hashem for a real eye opener
37. Play scrabble with your wife
38. Start a new business
39. Toilet train your kid
40. Organize your desk
41. Learn a Mishna
42. Record a new voice mail message for your cell phone
43. Teach your kids how to play monopoly. Never too young to learn some good old fashioned business techniques
44. Offer the Chaverim volunteer, helping the many cars stranded in the street, a hot cup of coffee
45. Look at your wedding album. Yes, Yehuda, Totty used to have hair…
46. Resolve to do two halachos of shemiras halashon daily and start today
47. Look through your bills and make sure they are all paid. It’s definitely not fun sitting in the cold & dark in the aftermath of a blizzard
48. Call your parents/in-laws and find out how they’re coping. Misery loves company…
49. Encourage your wife to make your mother’s kokosh cake
50. Try your hand at scrapbooking
51. Start a new organization
52. Take a nap
53. Start a gemach
54. Write a poem
55. Learn how to play soduku
56. Clean up your dresser/closet
57. Stand at the window and marvel at the beauty of snow and the chaos it can cause : )
58. Fix that broken/squeaky……
59. Say some tehillim
60. Kick back on the recliner and listen to a favorite song
61. Read a book to your kids…or spouse
62. Enrich your vocabulary
63. Take a bubble bath
64. Play hot & cold with your kids
65. Make esrog jelly for Tu B’shvat
66. Polish the silver
67. Do the daf
68. Rearrange the seforim shrank. Matching colors, size etc. only kidding
69. Clean out the fridge
70. Take another nap
71. Start cleaning for Pesach
72. Play Geography
73. Make a Kiddush Hashem by NOT posting a negative comment on a blog
74. Arrange your CD’s by alphabetical order
75. Put the new cookbook your husband bought you for Chanukah to good use
76. Start learning how to lein the megillah
77. Say thank you to the DPW driver when he plows your street…
Happy Snowday!
Feel guilty that you didn’t do ANY of those things.
Don’t forget prank phone calls.
Very mature.
Very well written!!! Hear, hear!
There is no way a man wrote that list.
I spent hours trying to get through to our childrens’ school snowline numbers.Once I heard the unhappy news (schools were closed), I wept.
Then, my children spent HOURS dialing and redialing the numbers to listen again and again to the lovely message.
This was written very well. It is beyond true. We seem to always be in a rush to do NOTHING! Unfortunately we have to be reminded to spend time relaxing, organizing, spending time with our children or siblings.
Thank you so much,
much appreciated.
#5… does it really matter who wrote it?
Someone took their own personal time to make these suggestions and that’s the point. Thank you
Bottom line? We actually just THINK we are living. We’re so busy with meaningless stupidity these days that we forget about the things in life that can actually give us nachas and real satisfaction. Well written. Thank you.
Ideas # 1, 7, 18, 23, 28, 35, 39, 43 and 64 involve children, unfortunately we are still waiting. I guess that leaves me with only 68 ideas. But for idea # 69 – spend the extra time at home crying wishing you had 77 ideas. 🙁
create a list of things to do when its snowing
write a thank you comment for the one who wrote the 77 things to do in the snow!
hitbodidut!
just recieved a call from my husband he said something happend at the corner of kenndy blvd and route 9 does anybody know anything i can’t find anything on line. if you have any info please post it. thank you very much
basicly learn, shovel, and play with friends and family DUH!
#10 i give you a birchas hedyit that you should iyh have your hands so full with many healthy children that 77 things wont be enough things to do on a snowy day! ….davening for you!
Very nice, I agree. You can also go on line to TLS and read all the comments.
no one mentioned football in the snow. awesome
watch your chasuna video. look at camp/israel pictures
does anyone know if there is a kosher dvd library in town?
what about sledding
how about booking a trip to Florida
Very nice! We should all make good use of this time. It doesn’t happen that often. Well, with the exception of last year – three major snow storms. Everyone, including me, needs to relax; we’ll get out when we get out.
ahhh curl up in front of the fireplace with a good book…what fireplace?! its still nice to dream