So I read the column our managing editor wrote Monday "Snow and Scars." Bless her heart, I see her in a whole new light. It's was cute; I felt bad for the 12-year-old Jessica, but for the adult Jessica, who sits across from me, I can't imagine her being afraid of anything, especially a snow storm.

I, too, remember the Blizzard of '93. I had just moved to Atlanta to live with my dad a few months earlier and was ecstatic when I saw all that snow. Like Jessica, of course I was happy to be out of school, but wow, our yard looked like those Winter Wonderlands I hear about in songs.

I was 13 years old and bundled up in layers upon layers, including one of my dad's hats. When my dad passed away four years ago I found a picture of me and a neighbor outside playing in the snow. There I stood waving at my dad, who refused to come play, but snapped pictures from the balcony. I remember him saying he had had enough snow from our days in Detroit.

Monday was no different, I bundled up in lots of layers and went outside to make a snowwoman. It was extremely cold out and after just 10 minutes of rolling snow into a ball I could no longer feel my fingers, but I was determined to build my snowwoman. I'm a friendly, competitive girl and these little girls were also outside building a pretty neat snowman. They had neon spray paint and everything, so I told my neighbors our snowwoman had to better than theirs.

I even told the little girls that their snowman was cute, but ours would be better. They giggled and kept decorating. Probably thinking this lady is crazy, it's just a snowman.

But it wasn't just a snowman, it was all about me enjoying the moment. Who knows when Georgia will get this kind of weather again? Probably next decade or something. And like Jessica, I hate cold weather. I'm anemic and cold all the time, but some things you have to woman up and face. Monday was one of those days.

When it was over, I had the perfect snowwoman. She had a few hair pieces, an asparagus nose, lemon slice mouth, squared lemon eyes, and a cute, blue scarf. As I stood back and snapped pictures of my girl, I imagine my dad in heaven doing the same. I look at blizzards and snow storms in Georgia like I look at those rare special moments: They don't come often, but when they do you have to embrace and enjoy them.

Shaka Lias is the crime and court reporter for The Daily Tribune News.