Holidays spent torn between snow banks, life of sunshine
Terrisa Mays
That time of the year is rolling around again.
The very surreal time that marks the presence of turkey, parades, and later a hefty white guy in an unforgiving red suit.
While this time of the year has been marked with joy by with the quintessential 20-year-old films, and mooching off of our overwhelmed parents has become a bit bittersweet for me.
The times that were also accompanied by the warmth of home cooking, hugs and laughter that shielded many youngsters from the dreaded Hawk.
Forgive the nostalgia.
These days I can only reminisce on my adolescence in my home state of Indiana and in spite of a conscious effort not to, I continuously compare the winter holidays to my current state of residence.
Instead of the pine trees covered with white snow that lined our driveway, I have become subjected to palm trees and cacti draped in obnoxious Christmas lights.
It is quite disheartening.
After six years of living in Arizona, some have said I’m practically a native, a statement I always vehemently disagree with.
Although I must admit, I do not miss the challenge of hiking home from school on a brick cold afternoon in two feet of snow; I have been robbed of snow days completely.
In a way I am often torn, having spent a major chunk of my life in another state.
But, I am appreciative of the growth and memories that have been recorded to the backdrop of mountains, cloudless skies, and sweltering heat.
While I probably could no longer survive the Indiana cold and I am grateful for the life I have in Arizona, that doesn’t remove the spot in my heart that will always be reserved for my home state.
My solution to my epic longing, is to cherish the life that I have been fortunate to have here, and realize that good times reflect off mountains the same as snow banks.
