Griping about the snow? Just stop.

The snow doesn't give a soft white damn whom it touches. — E.E. Cummings

By Melissa Walsh

Here in Detroit, we were hit yesterday with 7 to 8 inches of snow. After work and school, we shoveled with a chase of hot chocolate. No big deal. I like winter.

The only thing I find annoying when winter happens is the bombardment of whining about winter. With each snowfall, my Facebook and Twitter feeds light up with the grumbling. And these laments aren't from the folks who have a legitimate snowfall grievance -- those who are too old or sick to shovel their walk and drive. The gripes, I noticed, usually come from healthy people. And I know many of these people have gym memberships. Snowflakes.

Just stop it.

Enjoy the snow-shovel workout, maybe with your dog or with a kid. Toss snow on the dog. Dogs love that. Throw a snowball at the kid. Kids love that.

Or listen to some tunes and get your snow-shovel groove going. Work it. Feel that winter beat.

Snow is pretty. Snow is fun. Snow is glorious. It’s soft. In the light, sparkles like diamonds.

Some of my fondest memories wouldn’t have happened without snow. The ski trips with friends. Tobogganing with my dad when I was little. Making snow angels on the playground.

Years later, I enjoyed watching my kids build snow bunkers before waging a snowball battle. Today, I enjoy walking my dog on a quiet day while sporting my warm coat, my Habs tuque, and my comfy boots. I like hearing the snow crunching beneath my steps. I'm happy. The dog is happy. Life is good in the snow.

And that’s not all snow is good for —  the fun and the beauty. It’s also healthy. Yes, snow is good for our health!

Snowfall means cold weather, which is good for our bodies. We burn more calories when we’re chilled. Seasonal  allergies and inflammation are reduced in cold weather. Scholars have written white papers presenting evidence that we think more clearly in cold weather. (Here’s a link to one of those papers.)

We sleep better in the winter. And our blood flow is more oxygenated as the body warms itself, especially during a winter work out — like working that like snow-shoveling rhythm or that winter wonderland strut with the dog.

Mother Earth also benefits from an abundantly snowy winter. Snow’s “blanket effect” insulates the landscape for healthy gardens. Melting snow provides moisture for dormant plants and evergreens and replenishes the water supply. These environmental truths about snow not only benefit humans, but also outdoor animals in their natural habitat.

The sunlight that snow reflects into the atmosphere helps the planet maintain a healthy solar energy balance and a regulated surface temperature.

Here, where I live, in the Earth’s Northern Hemisphere, 98 percent of the planet’s snow falls. Without healthy snow fall here in the North, other areas of the planet are affected negatively due to a global "snowpack" shift. Less snowfall leads to changes in global cooling, which causes bad things happen, such as unexpected arrival of monsoons and other storms at unestimated lengths of duration.

So to the people who complain about snow — those living in snowpack towns like mine: Do you really want the alternative?  A lack of snow fall where you live has catastrophic consequences. Stop complaining.

If you hate snow so much, then take steps to move south.

But most importantly, while you're living in the snowbelt, be mindful about helping a neighbor who is too old or sick to shovel their driveway.

My son and dog digging the snow yesterday.

My sons with friends in our yard 4 winters ago.

​© 2019 Melissa Walsh