Snow: What does it mean to you?

Last night and earlier today, the first major snow storm of the season hit Atlantic Canada.

Welcome snow! Hello winter!

On June 2026, Bambi will start her 36th year in Canada. Yes, time flies as we age.

Time flies yet some elements remain constant in Bambi’s life and mind, including the perceived charm of our beautiful Canadian winter.

Today, Bambi’s thoughts go to newcomers who may be seeing the snow for the first time.

She still has vivid memories of her first own winter storm in Montreal. It happened on a school day, when she was in CEGEP, and she happily danced under the snow in the middle of Fairmount Avenue during a break between her courses :).

Yes, before migrating to Canada, she had seen snow on the beautiful Lebanese mountains. Regularly from far away (i.e., the view from Beirut). On a handful of occasions, she saw snow closer. She even played with it. Yet, she was thrilled and fascinated by the beauty of this peaceful white scene on the streets of Montreal in the late fall of 1990.

What about you, dear readers? Do you like snow? Do you see it often? What do you like about it, if you do enjoy it? And why would you dislike it, if that’s it the case for you? Do you have good winter memories from your childhood? With you own children or maybe grandchildren? Perhaps with other loved ones, younger or older, or on your own?

Whatever the season, scenery, or weather forecast where you are located right now, be safe, warm, and enjoy the present moment, just like in Fairuz’s song celebrating snow.

Lebanon’s youth: Thank you, Pope Leo XIV, for being a messenger of unity and peace

Today, Bambi was moved to the core by the images coming out of her birth county. As you can see in the brief YouTube video below, Pope Leo XIV received a WARM welcome by everyone, from all walks of life and religious backgrounds, especially by youth.

Many old and young people travelled within the tiny country from ALL its different regions, including the destroyed south, to come to greet the Pope. Some even came from abroad while others visited from Syria and Irak, as he kindly acknowledged them all.

Pope Leo XVI embraced youth’s energy, listened to their inspiring stories or songs, and brought a breath of fresh air to all. He surely contributed to consolidate their faith, at the spiritual, human, civil, and universal levels. He also encouraged their loyalty for their country (i.e., asking them not to migrate anymore, if at all possible).

By emphasizing the values of kindness, forgiveness, interpersonal peace, and unity, Pope Leo XVI seemed to have implicitly validated Lebanese people’s desperate aspirations for peace, individually, domestically, and regionally. Perhaps most significantly, he may have acted as a role model for an agent of peace. It is Bambi’s hope that young people will value, demand, and insist on contributing to peace.

For all the above, thank you Holy Father Leo for being a ray of light in the darkness. As for Lebanon, may it find peace and rise in order to flourish and shine again.