Snowflake Queens *princess emoji*
Helenes are snowflakes
I suppose I’ve subverted the prompt by creating a statement rather than using 3-5 separate words, but alas, a Helene always toes the line between creativity and danger. There is an unshakeable power to a declaration, which a string of unrelated words would lack.
What imagery crosses your mind when you think of snowflakes, or snowflake queens?
Light?
Airy?
Picturesque innocence on a cold winter’s day?
Ah you see, we different ideologies of snowflakes. What do I imagine? [Thank you for asking] I see one-of-a-kind crystals, that glimmer and shimmer in the light of day, and glisten in the night. I see a odd natural phenomenon whereby complex shapes emerge as the flake moves through differing temperature and humidity zones in the atmosphere, creating individual snowflakes that differ in detail from one another. I see a combination of pressure mixed with tenderness leading to beauty. Oh you see that too? I’m glad we’ve come to agree.
But this narrative was almost nullified. I toyed for awhile with “Helenes are like snowflakes”, but the singular addition of such a preposition changed the strength and meaning behind the illustration. I had to ask myself: what is causing the hesitation, why the need for the simile; there was no answer that could or would suffice. With one word I could have weakened the integrity of Helenes’ rare essence.
Helenes are snowflakes. Helenes are snowflake queens. Apart from one another they are beautiful, rare finds fortified by pressure; but together? When you put them together you create a snowstorm of goodness and resilience. That is the Helenes experience summed up in five words: snowstorm of goodness and resilience. A group that lifts you up and pushes you forwards. What a unique thing to find, some may as unique and as different as one snowflake to the next*.
*according to science no two snowflakes are alike.
