Going Downhill Fast

This winter has been tough on Maura and I. We can’t walk to school because the sidewalks are covered with snow. Busy schedules and a lack of funds have often kept us at home even on days when Maura hasn’t been in school. The snow has given one chance we wouldn’t have had without it. When the snow is fresh and the temperatures not too cold we go sledding.

Weymouth is by no means mountainous but it is not entirely flat. We have a couple of good spots for sledding in town and they draw crowds after every snow. Maura and I have been out on the hills almost every weekend this year. It’s snowed with regularity this winter and the snow has piled up on the ground faster than it can melt or be packed down and worn away by the passage of many sleds.

This year has been particularly good for sledding so far. In past years the days with good snow have been very rare. Though we have missed a few opportunities, Maura and I have been sledding almost as many times this year as we had managed in the previous three, and winter is only half over. I imagine we’ll get more chances before spring finally melts the snow.

When we can Maura and I put on our snow pants and boots, put the sled in the trunk of the car and head for the slopes. Maura does most of the sledding these days. When she first got her sled she was three. She used to be afraid to go down the hill by herself and I had to ride down with her every time. These days she has no fear and I mostly watch while she goes down the hill. It is nerve wracking because she is not very good at steering, but in truth, neither am I. We can still fit on the sled together and sometimes she still lets me ride with her. I don’t think that will last much longer. She’s getting too big to ride with her Daddy. I think she only lets me ride with her now because she’s lazy about hauling the sled up the hill and she knows if I go down I’ll bring the sled back up for her. Next year she won’t want to go sledding with me. She’ll probably still be happy for me to take her to the park and stand in the cold watching while she sleds but the days when we can ride down together will be over. I’ll certainly miss it. I enjoy the time I’ve had to spend with my daughter and I like sledding, too. The only parents I ever see on sleds are the ones with small kids. I may never get the chance to go again. I wonder If I’ll still be up to flying down hill when I have grand children.