It is 9 a.m., and you wake up to the sun shining through the blinds rather than your blaring alarm. There is a fresh, untouched cover of snow over the grass.

Due to snowy conditions across the district, school is closed, but students are given more than just a day off—they are given a reminder of what it feels like to be a kid again.

Until the white blanket coating the street melts, you are relieved of all obligations and free to relish in the magic of a snow day.

For me, this means grabbing a sled that is older than me and hitting the streets with all the neighbor kids. This means racing down the steepest hills and trying to build snowmen.

Through the eyes of a kid, this is the best day ever, and as I was sledding down an imaginary race track with Reese — my 7-year-old neighbor– I began to think that, too.

All around the neighborhood, the same scene was playing out. Everyone –young and old– bundled up and geared with sleds and snowballs.

Then, cold and exhausted, we came inside to find my mom waiting with a towel and mugs of hot cocoa—just like she did when I was five.

In a place like North Carolina, where snow is far from an everyday winter occurrence, its arrival turns everyone—no matter their age—into a giddy kid all over again.

Instead of going to work, I made cookies. Instead of worrying about deadlines, I binged a TV show

Snow days don’t just cancel school; they put a pause on life. They remind us to have fun and enjoy the moment.