Snow is nature's way of calling time out, at least here in North Carolina. Let some white stuff collect on the ground and we call off schools, close businesses and stay home. And, despite what some recent transplants might tell you, it is a good thing.

Snow days are special times when families can actually eat meals, play games, watch movies and be together. There is great delight in cooking meals, sledding and making snow cream. And yes, we do know enough not to eat the yellow snow.

I love the pace of snow days, being able to sneak time to read a book or take a nap. It is even OK. for the house to get messy. There may be a list of things that need doing, but they are either covered over, cannot be tackled or just put off when it snows.

Heck, we aren't this relaxed even when taking at-home vacations.

At these times we are grateful for the health care providers and first responders, like police, fire and rescue people, who brave the weather to remain on the job in case we need them. We even notice utility, sanitation and postal service employees who keep on keeping on during bad weather.

And I don't know about you, but I get frustrated when people criticize school officials who call off or delay school. Cut them some slack. They are only trying to look after the safety of our children. Even more irritating are the complaints of those who don't think our highway maintenance folks aren't cleaning the roads as quickly as they would like. These public servants are out working all night while they are warm at home griping.

Most North Carolinians see snow and winter weather no more than two or three times per year. If we spent large sums of money employing people or purchasing equipment to remove snow and ice you can be sure our public officials would receive even more criticism for wasting money. It would be valid.

No, we don't know how to drive in the snow and ice and don't wish to learn. But neither are we terribly tolerant of the snickering and derision from those who moved here from areas where they have frequent occurrences of this weather.

Without stooping to their level of faultfinding and belittling let's just say that Delta is ready when they are!

In North Carolina, snow days are a gift to many of us. A chance to take a breather, to be forced to slow down and to pay attention to the basics like family, a warm dry shelter and rest. Admittedly, after several such days we get cabin fever and long to return to the rat race, but we are thankful that both we and the rats had some time off.

Tom Campbell is former assistant North Carolina state treasurer and is creator/host of NC SPIN, a weekly statewide television discussion of NC issues airing Sundays at 6:30 a.m. on WRAL-TV and at 8:30 a.m. on WRAZ-TV FOX50. Contact him at www.ncspin.com.