Should we teach kids to fall in love with something they’re about to lose?

“My trust now must lie not with the belief that snow will always come, but that whatever comes as the world changes will be worth loving, too.”

— Elizabeth Miller

When Elizabeth Miller teaches kids to ski, her goal is to make them fall in love with the sport. In between teaching them how to do wedge turns, she lets them make snow angels and throw snowballs at the trees. She wants them to internalize the joy of winter.

But lately, she’s been wondering whether it’s cruel to help children fall in love with what they’re about to lose. With climate change threatening to shorten ski seasons by as much as three-fourths in some parts of the country, winter could become a rare commodity. Even with drastic climate initiatives, change is inevitable.

Where, then, does that leave us? Should we introduce children to natural wonders they won’t be able to enjoy as grownups? Or is there still — somehow — merit in letting them experience the beauty of a snowy world, even as that world is vanishing?