Hitting Crossroads

Sharda Mishra posted under Flash Fiction QuinTale-23 on 2020-10-12



A happy child as I was, like most, I also had few unhappy moments. Growing up in a cold, snowy place has advantages as well as disadvantages. Growing up as a child and growing up as aging parents has its own beauty and challenges too. We often hit the crossroads while nurturing each other.  Like every child I was very fond of white snow. More because I lived in a desert.  “Why Dad!? Why did you do that to your little girl, why did you pick Phoenix to settle down? I would have happily played with snow and made snowmen in Flagstaff.” I lamented as an adult one day. Up North was full of pine trees, snow covered mountains and wonderful weather, whereas down south, towards Phoenix was dry weather, cactus, and snakes everywhere.  When Dad hit this crossroad unfortunately he picked Phoenix to settle down. Feeling cold and seeing snow were abstract concepts for me until one day I saw and felt real snow — my first winter trip to Flagstaff;  just two hours drive from Phoenix where I lived When dad asked me, “Sweetheart! Should we go up North or down south for winter vacation?” I was hit by the first crossroad of my life. My child’s heart gurgled with happiness and delight and made the right decision. I picked Flagstaff so I can play with snow. “Yey!!” I jumped with joy and enjoyed the ride all the way anticipating the activities I was going to do with snow. We rested that night. On the morning of the first day of my ski resort, I saw snow everywhere. Even the hills and trees were covered with snow. I was wearing snow goggles to prevent the glare from the snow which was blinding my eyes. I immediately sat down on the snow with my snowsuit and snow boots.  My mom feared I’d wet my snowsuit but had just enough trust in me to put me in ski school anyway. You might not believe me, but I remember being just over 2 years old and skiing downhill on Hart Prairie Peak, Snowbowl Arizona, wondering why my ski instructor was making us do the “French-Fries” and “Pizza-Pies” with our skis — I wanted to eat “French-Fries” and “Pizza-Pies” instead; make snow angels and eat cookies instead. So there you go people, that was the second crossroad of my life. Although I didn’t know what “crossroad” was, back then. Since then I have faced a plethora of crossroads in my life and I have realized that it is essential for us to quiet our mind, be willing to go within and let go of our mental grip on the situation. Allow crossroads to launch you into thinking bigger and believing for better. However, later that day after the ski lesson, I was lucky to eat cookies with the picturesque backdrop of the snow covered mountains. A reward for me — today I can ski like a pro.

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