What Could Be

One morning I awoke to see a light, wispy snow covering everything with a blanket of peace. The temperature was twenty-four degrees, and most snowflakes were small, almost transparent. There were six-pointed flakes in different shapes, perfectly cut by a Master’s hand. Another type had razor-sharp edges, looking like sheets of thinly peeled mica. The sun reflected off the mirrored surfaces, scattering thousands of prisms across the landscape. The third type of snow was slowly floating from the sky, tiny bright white balls that bounced as they landed.

As I studied this snow, I realized it looked like fake snow, the type of snow used in a Hallmark movie. If I saw this snow on tv, I would think, That snow is so fake. You never see real snow like that. Yet, it was real, I had seen it.

Hallmark movies can be like that mornings snow; they can look fake yet have a real quality. They tend to be corny, predictable, and seem too good to be true. So why do people, okay me, get so sucked into them? What is it, other than handsome leading men, that pulls us in? What makes us sit back and cozy-up under a fuzzy blanket, hot chocolate in one hand, remote in the other, and hit play?

Part of the attraction seems to be that we get drawn into the possibilities, the what could be of life. Haven’t we all been there?

High school geometry class was one time for me. One row to my right and two seats back sat my heartthrob. Thinking about him still makes me smile, even after all these years. Who cares about rhomboids and parallelograms with him over your right shoulder? There was much angst when geometry class was in my rotation. Not only did I stress about what the front of my hair looked like, but also the back, especially the back right. Sad to say, a romance with him was only in my mind. In reality, he had a steady girlfriend, but that didn’t stop me from believing in what could be. It is fifty years later, and I’m still dreaming of possibilities, the what could be. I’m just no longer putting him into the equation.

Back to Hallmark movies and the attraction to them. When the love triangle and the romance between two totally opposite-minded people are removed, we are left with possibilities. Possibilities and positive thinking. Reflections on the past and hopes for the future. Bonds of love with family and reunion with friends. Mercy and grace all rolled up into one.

I know where else I have seen that - my life. By trusting in God for my future, I can imagine the possibilities, believing that what lies in my heart could one day come true. In giving Him thanks for my past and praise in advance for my future, I maintain positive thinking. Mercy and grace, personified in my family and friends, flow freely and I am blessed.

Like that morning snow, some things are for real.