A phone call as I am lying on the couch, reading a book. I had a sauna this morning and came home hungry and enervated.

My four and 3/4 s granddaughter was on the phone asking if I would like to go sledding with her. Her two year old brother did not want to go outside so daddy could not take her sledding.

I rallied and said, “Sure, I will get dressed and meet you in five minutes.”

I grabbed a handful of chocolate chips to fuel the hill climbs. Fortunately, the hill is right behind the house. It has a ridge route, easier to walk up as well as the top of the hill run that is very steep which then slopes into the yard.

I arrived at her door to tears. Her brother was playing happily with his trucks, my granddaughter was being encouraged to eat some food and drink some milk before we headed out. She is a wisp of a girl and seems to live mostly on air. She had a tiny snack and then we were off.

We had some very good runs in the sunshine. My back held through the couple of bumps that throw you up a bit. There was a wondrous phenomenon of the blue/violet spectrum of sunlight falling on the sun in a band that edged our sled’s tracks. It was sparkly and so soft with a tiny bit of aqua edging the sky blue which flowed into an edge of violet. The blue was the largest band and it was so beautiful. A blue pool in the snow. Magical!

After a few runs. the sun began its descent on the other side of the hill. We hurried back to ask her dad and brother to come out to view this special sight. We took another run while they were getting dressed. It was a fleeting event and there was only a hint of the color remaining when they arrived. I wish that I had been able to take a photo of it but the wonder of it will live with my granddaughter and me. She wants to try to replicate that time of day for sledding to see if it happens again. We shall see!

I was transported back to the stamina needed to be a parent of little ones. The two year old was howling, he did not want to be outside. He was divesting himself of his jacket and gloves as fast as he could.  He could not quite manage to undo the zipper at the very end but that did not stop him from pulling his arms out and running towards the comfort and warmth of the house. A river of tears and mucus was rolling down his face.

My granddaughter began to join in, crying that she wanted to come up to my house, she was not done with her time with me. Daddy assured her that her time was up and that they were going inside awaiting mommy’s arrival home. She continued her protests, out crying her brother. Daddy said, “How about an attitude of gratitude for the sledding time you just had with Nana?” He encouraged her to thank me.

Oh, she was not ready to do that! She said, “I have no confidence that I co can do that!”

She wanted only to live with me all the time. She did not want to wait until her special time with me tomorrow. On and on the protests went. I followed her into the house, murmuring to her. I helped get her out of her snow gear while daddy took charge of the little one. Again , she knew daddy wanted her to say thank you but she felt she couldn’t. I quietly said, “How about you whisper it to me?”

She came over and whispered, “Thank you, Nana. I love you. ” I whispered back that I loved her and would see her tomorrow.

I left my son with two tired children. I am grateful that he has that youthful stamina that can hold on through days like this. Where it takes all of you to endure. The other parent arriving home from work, an anticipated relief. There is nothing quite as challenging as toddlers and snow gear and late afternoons when emotions run ragged.

I was grateful to be able to head off to my writing group to share this bit of blue magic and a whispering child.