"Let it Snow"

The chapter, "Let it Snow" by Sedaris, is yet another example as to why Sedaris' book is not what it seems. My expectation for this chapter was for Sedaris to reflect on a childhood snow day spent with his siblings. Rather, Sedaris tells us the comical, yet troubling, account of a snow day spent trapped outside his house. Clearly feeling overwhelmed and exhausted from the pressure of having to entertain children during a blizzard, Sedaris’ mother takes an atypical approach to parenting–locking her children out of the house. “Selfish mothers wanted the house to themselves, and their children were discovered years later, frozen like mastodons in blocks of ice” (Sedaris 88). Sedaris and his siblings respond to their mother’s cold heart by having their sister Tiffany lay in the street, hoping she’ll get hit by a car, which will of course, teach their mother a lesson. The chapter ends with Sedaris’ mother trudging outside in no snow gear to go and get them, and the children assembling her a make-shift shoe, as she loses her loafer to the snow. At first glance, it’s easy to say Sedaris’ mother was too harsh and “unmotherly” as she locked her kids out of the house. But, I think this chapter shows the true and uncensored mother-experience. Mothers are held to such a high-standard and every individual has varying definitions and expectations. Ultimately, mothers are put under a microscope as gender roles and cultural expectations have set the standard as to what makes a “good mother”. Most of these expectations would not condone a mother locking their children out of their house during a snow storm. But, Sedaris reminds us that like us, mothers are just humans and sometimes they have moments of imperfection. Sedaris’ mother, like the rest of us, Sedaris also shows unconditional love between parents and children as Sedaris and his siblings attempt to assemble a “shoe” for their mother. As Gretchen Sedaris said, “That bitch” (Sedaris 88), turned into a gesture of love as she and the rest of her siblings chose to rescue their ill-prepared mother from the storm. No family is perfect, and Sedaris perfectly captures this. Mothers need a break from their children, and children lay in the street to get their parents’ attention. Sedaris’ imperfect reflection of a childhood memory captures the true nature and is a tribute to his mother who passed away from cancer.