The Slice: Here’s hoping for a blizzard of fun

I can’t prove it.

There’s not a name I can give you.

But I have a hunch that somewhere in Spokane, a delusional little boy or girl awoke this morning hoping to discover that it had snowed.

Poor kid. No such luck. School will be open, as scheduled. At least in some districts.

Of course, it is nuts to think it could snow on Sept. 4. According to a friend at the National Weather Service, the earliest Spokane has had snow is Oct. 12. “The average first day of trace or more snow is Nov. 14,” he added.

So this youth I’m visualizing didn’t really have a chance.

But it’s a funny thing about little kids. Some of them have an astonishing ability to believe. They get something in their heads and that’s it.

So I imagine this youngster started speculating about arctic cold fronts dropping down from Canada. Or maybe he or she cooked up the crazy idea that a late Labor Day blizzard might be a freakish offshoot of climate change. After all, this has been an odd year for weather.

And so maybe last night this child went to bed with visions of road closures dancing in his or her head.

Yes, it would be mind-blowing to wake up to a white late-summer wonderland. All the adults would excitedly wave their arms. “How could this happen?”

The kid would know. It was all part of a secret deal, a faith compact. It was proof of the power of a familiar incantation, “Please, oh please, oh please.”

Alas, it did not snow.

That child, if he or she really is out there, has to go to school today.

So here’s my own prayer.

I hope that kid makes a friend in the first five minutes – someone else who is a little scared, too, though perhaps less so because now there’s someone with whom to share that anxiety.

I hope that kid has the kindest, warmest teacher Spokane has to offer – someone whose natural smile and reassuring tone melts fear away.

I hope that kid realizes his or her parents are about to explode with pride because of the way he or she stood up and faced the music today.

I hope that kid sees by lunchtime that school can be kind of fun.

And I hope that, come Wednesday morning, this kid bounds out of bed because he or she doesn’t want to be late.

Today’s Slice question: Did you ever say thank-you to your favorite teacher?