I woke up to the sound of my husband making coffee, and the news. I could tell by the light in the window that it was past 7 am. The light from the window also showed something else- it was snowing! It has barely snowed this winter in my part of Connecticut, and yet today, in proper spring, it was snowing.

But it wasn’t just any snow day.

I jumped up and made the bed, threw on a snuggly sweatshirt and leggings, and headed to the kitchen, and coffee. There I sipped a bit before I wished my husband Good Morning. I shut off the news and put on some music, then and went about my morning business. I fed cats and let dogs out. I saw we had some overripe bananas so I started some banana bread. I knew the smell would bring my kids to the kitchen with sleepy eyes and twitching noses, searching for the yumminess. They know that I always make something special for breakfast on snow days.

One by one we share sweet bread and our plans for the day — my son who was doing an online class, my daughter who was finishing up some sales in her business, and my husband’s conference call at noon. We decided on who is going to walk the dog, who seems to need even more exercise during a snow day.

Except this isn't a regular snow day.

Normally, lunch is a “eat whatever you figure out” deal on snow days, but today I made homemade calzones. Not just to make my family happy, but to use up the cheese that needed to be used. No wasting food. Using up every bit means the longer we can wait until heading out to the grocery store again. I hate driving in the snow.

I spent the afternoon cleaning and organizing my house. I washed all the floors down again with disinfectant. I cleaned every doorknob, every light fixture, scrubbed the bathrooms, and disinfected everything I could think of that someone would touch- even the toilet handles. I then did a food inventory and started planning meals for the rest of the week. I was trying to see how I could best stretch the food to feed all four of us. Going to the store is something that we simply do not want to do. We don’t want to leave our house.

It’s not just any simple snow day. There is snow, sure, but it’s just a few inches and nothing my Subaru can’t handle. It’s what else is out there that is keeping us home. The virus that keeps us sheltering in place to help stop the spread of the Coronavirus. We know that a simple run to the store can infect one of us. With all 4 of us being high risk, a trip outside takes a lot of planning and determination.

I sat in the dining room planning dinner as I sipped a cup of tea and ate a slice of banana bread and gathered the peace of knowing my family was safe, and around me. Yet I still feel a bit hollow and anxious and I do before most big snowstorms. I know we can weather it, but it’s not going to be easy. It might get a bit scary. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s going to get very scary, and we have no weather report to guide us through. But like any snowstorm, it will end, the sun will come out and the snow will melt. It will. I’m going to be grateful that I’m with those I love while I wait for the sun to come out.

It’s not just any old snowstorm.

It will end and the sun is coming.

It is.