Snow Days With a Side of Russian Nesting Dolls

My feet touched the frigid, wooden floor, opening my shades to the blush, wintry sky as I romped down the stairs to prepare the one beverage that could warm me up, coffee. I set it to brew, turned on my local news, where the weatherman’s booming voice echoed through my kitchen. There was snow to be expected, and was especially welcome, by me. You see, my frame of logic is that if it’s going to be cold, there ought to be snow to make it ever so slightly more bearable. Nonetheless, it wouldn’t arrive until sundown, so there was plenty of time to embark on my long awaited shopping endeavors. There is a local event every year that turns a once alive and thriving steel business into a Christmas wonderland, offering patrons tents galore, filled with unique trinkets, hot chocolate, and clothes to warm us up all winter. I was set to meet my friend and her beloved furry companion, and take on each tent with them in stride. This having been said, the time quickly arrived, and of course I was happily greeted by her and her dog, and we trekked on. The only problem was, even in a sweater and woolen scarf, I was still freezing. My friend and I quickly sought warmth in a nearby tent, offering with it tables of trinkets lining up an entire wall. And there, right before my eyes, was something I never expected to see in a little tent inside a steel company’s skeleton. I blinked in awe at this Russian nesting doll, its bright red adornment luring me right away. For any readers who aren’t sure what these are, they are large dolls, and within them is a smaller counterpart, and you can keep opening them until you reach the smallest, and final, miniature replica if you will, neatly tucked inside a doll, inside another doll, inside another doll, and so on.  This being said, I gently picked the delicate doll up, the wood quickly warming in my hands, and I twisted each doll open, revealing with it all of its intricate nests. This brought laughs between my friend and I, her dog sitting patiently, eyes staring right at us. In this busiest time of year, it can be easy to neglect the little nests and stories of joy that twist and reveal themselves to us, but it’s up to us to twist and set apart.