It is what it is

Yesterday was the first full day of our family holiday together. And my family was supposed to be skiing but there is no snow. The mountain was closed down because Vermont has only had about 6 inches of snow for the whole season. Unusual for them. Unfortunate for us. So I thought at first.
Initially we were all disappointed because everyone was looking forward to skiing. Now we realise it happened for a reason. So we could just be together without rushing around trying to fit everything into our day. And yesterday was a day spent just like that. No plans. No agenda.
We checked into our unit the night before last disappointed to find that we would not be in one of the homes we have a timeshare for. But as my daughter said while we were driving up the hill, "It is what it is and we just have to accept that everything is the way it is meant to be."
My husband and I looked at each other in disbelief. Was that our eight year old daughter teaching us a lesson? We went to bed that night unsettled. We didn't unpack our bags because we were hoping to be moved to one of the equivalent units to the unit we have a timeshare in. When we woke up yesterday morning, we called right away only to find there was nothing available. Accepting we are where we are meant to be, we settled into our unit.
We went down to our favourite local for breakfast/lunch, The Mix. The food was as good as we remembered. Then we took a walk through the little town and ended up at a playground where my children played like they were little ones again. Without inhibition. Without abandon. Just free and happy.
Later in the day we went on a guided walk through the Nordic trails where we saw a wild racoon lurking in the trees, a tiny chipmunk run across the trail, mushroom growing on trees, and sap being collected from the trees to make maple syrup. We listened to the sound of the running water. We inhaled the fresh mountain air. Observing how different the scenery is compared to when we were here in October. Grateful for having the opportunity to experience the different seasons from a different vantage point.
Having a different experience to the one we thought we would be having. Without the snow. Without the view from the home we thought we would have. Without skiing. But we are together. Enjoying ourselves. Accepting we are where we are meant to be and enjoying the flow. Family time there is nothing like it.
And this morning when we woke up there was a dusting of snow on the ground and on the trees. My daughter was really excited to see it. Not the snow we were hoping for but snow nonetheless. We wanted snow and we got it. We just didn't say how much snow we wanted. Reminding me life gives us exactly what we ask for. We just need to phrase it in a way so it manifests exactly how we want it to.