My brother just called from snowy St. Louis. His first words were, “Don’t worry, there’s nothing wrong. Everyone is fine.” This is an indicator that he doesn’t call every day or every week. I won’t mention months; who’s counting anyway.
Everyone is busy and who does stay in touch with their loved ones as much as they’d like? In our case, there is also a 7 hour time difference that makes it even more difficult to share special moments in real time.
His call “for no reason” was a nice surprise. We chatted about holiday plans, compared Christmas Trees, and just reconnected in the details of daily life. His Sunday plans were wiped out by a snow storm, his kids were all out playing in the snow and he picked up the phone to call me. He made my day and although we weren’t on Skype, I know we both hung up smiling.
When you (over) schedule yourself into a frenzy without enough slack, a snow day can be a welcome change of pace, a window of opportunity. It doesn’t even have to snow; a last minute cancellation of a meeting or client appointment can produce the same effect. Make the most of it! Reach out and touch someone.
How do you spend your snow days?
Suzy Ogé is an American born business woman living in The Hague, The Netherlands. 