Luki saw snow for the first time today. I don’t think he was too impressed.

He is the first person in our family to be born in a place where it snows on a regular basis. And by a regular basis, I mean a couple of inches once a year (we live in the South). Still, that’s a whole lot more snow than I ever saw in Cuba, or Ton Ton in Venezuela.

The first time I ever experienced winter precipitation, I was twelve years old. I remember being really surprised at how quickly a snowflake disintegrated in my hand — they always looked much sturdier on television and picture books. Luki, on the other hand, will always be familiar with scarves and galoshes. From an early age, he will understand the importance of having snow fall on a weeknight so that school gets cancelled the next day.

Winter will come every year, and he will take it for granted.

His childhood will be totally different from my own. And it’s not just snow. Luki will grow up with unlimited hot water, his cartoons uninterrupted by government propaganda, a mall just a couple of miles away filled with all the toys his heart desires. Most importantly, he’ll have access to any information he requires, the freedom to travel the world, and the opportunities to become whomever he wants.

If he wants to be aloof about snow, that’s cool. I’ll never allow him to take those other things for granted though.