It’s March, and now it begins. Spring equinox, and my eager anticipation of the next sign that spring is here. I do not consider myself to be “outdoorsy” by any means, but this time of year makes me long for sunshine on my face and leaves on the trees. For birdsong, warm rain showers, and the smell of the earth awakening after its long, cold slumber.
“In the spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside 24 hours.”
– Mark Twain
While the weather can sometimes throw me for a loop, it seems to improve with each passing day. Yes, it may snow one day and be beautiful the next, but it is a process. An awakening. When I wake for the day, most of the time I am not blasting out of bed and running out the door to accomplish all the tasks on my list. No, I take a moment, blink and stretch, maybe yawn a few times, and slowly rise to make my way to the next thing. It is the same way with spring. I do not believe I would appreciate or enjoy it as much if it went from freezing cold to blazing hot within a matter of days.
“Spring is nature’s way of saying ‘Let’s Party!’” – Robin Williams
I miss birdsong in the winter and am wildly excited to hear it again in the spring. Trees surround my house, and I have a wood thrush who visits every year. I grew up in northern Illinois which seemingly does not have wood thrushes – I had never heard its song before. But when I first heard it in the spring of 2021, I was amazed by its beauty and complexity. This bird actually seems to harmonize with itself! It has become one of the things I look forward to most every year.
“Nothing ever seems impossible in spring, you know.” – L.M. Montgomery
When I see leaves start to sprout on the trees and grass push up through the ground, I know warm weather is just around the corner. All that was dead seemed to explode with new life. There is just something to be said about the moment when the light green of tiny new leaves starts appearing on the trees. It is almost magical. And the fragrance of warm earth has an intoxicating effect on the senses. I am not one for digging in the dirt – my thumb is not green at all – but there is something about driving by a freshly plowed field.
Winter does not last forever, although at times it seems it does. And reflecting on all that I love about spring has heightened my anticipation for this year’s spring season. The idea of renewal and awakening, the importance of stopping and taking it all in. Remembering that it is all a process that I can apply to my life as well. Like many others, I have experienced “winter” in my life. It is wonderful to know that the brighter days of “spring” are just ahead.
