Lost and Found Friend

December in Utah, and the “greatest snow on earth” does not disappoint. It has been coming down for days. Streets and driveways are lined with snow piled four feet high as each new layer has to be shoveled and cleared to the side, giving people and cars access to travel.

It’s time to deliver Christmas presents to neighbors. I put the gifts into a large bag and me and my two younger sons (ages 5 and 8) put on our layers and snow gear. Before we go, my 8-year-old picks up his favorite toy: a small plastic dinosaur his older sister gifted him and dubbed his “traveling buddy.” It goes everywhere with him in his pocket. This time it is tucked into the palm of his glove.

At house number seven, while trying to gain purchase on a slippery driveway that slopes uphill, my son loses his footing and his dino buddy falls into a snowbank. The dino immediately disappears out of sight into the white powder. We all sweep snow away in an attempt to find it, but it’s a green plastic “needle” in a wetter and colder “haystack” made of snow. It’s impossible to find.

It takes until April for the snow to clear enough before a search can be made again. Even then, it takes a while to find him among the wet and moldy plant debris in the flower bed. The dino’s return is celebrated; it is finally able to travel with my son once again.