Awaiting Spring

This year, perhaps more than any I can remember, waiting for Spring is tough. We all know that it will come eventually. We know that fact because, in the past, when extremely rough Winters have lingered, Spring has triumphed over the cold, hateful weather at some point. At some point. Eventually. At long last.

This Winter, with its terrible virus, has lingered in a much more dangerous way than previous Winters. We have collectively been frightened, and told to stay inside. We are enduring isolation, deprivation, anxiety, and frustration. We are testing our mental and physical strength in new ways.We need Spring. Rebirth. Rejuvenation. Reconnection. We need each other in ways we took for granted.

Throughout human history, natural history, and the mythology of humankind’s religions, there has been Rebirth. Renaissance. Renewal. Regeneration. Resurrection. We have learned about this, and we have witnessed this each Spring. The brave little crocuses on my lawn have risen, through snow, sleet, wind, and rain. They are proudly sticking their faces ever upward to the Sun. The green leaves of the perennial flowers I have planted are stubbornly pushing their way upward as well. The fledgling leaves on my massive Maple tree are clustering together despite harsh breezes; they are saying “we are here and we are ready to burst forth”. And the birds and squirrels are busy preparing for their young: the future of their species.

I am trying to be as brave as the crocuses and the leaves. I am hoping for a Renewal of my life’s activities and my relationships with family and friends. I am almost certain that the way things were and the way things will be going forward are going to be substantially different. I am not sure how we will navigate those changes, but I am sure we will do it. We don’t have much choice. The only choice each of us will have is how we react going forward. How much Grace and Courage we exhibit. How much Kindness and Compassion we share.

I wish for each of you the bravery of the flowers and trees and animals. I wish for you the simple yet necessary Hope they carry for the future of our lovely planet. Happy Earth Day.