Each spring, as the snow melts away, and the frigid temperatures turn balmy, or at least not so frigid, I find growing within myself a great optimism. The young are born, the sun warms the frozen barren earth, and the spring flowers begin their yearly ritual of blooms. It truly is a very special time of year. One of my very favorites. It was also a favored time of year for my ancestors, the Celts. But more on that later. For now, lets talk of the many gifts the planet bestows on our lowly species every spring.
Have you ever sat near a sunny window sill and wondered why spring is so beautiful, and why such beauty comes after an extended period of cold, death, and solitude? Perhaps its Mother Natures way of reinforcing our beliefs that everything will work out in the end, that all will once again be well in the world. Mother is harsh indeed, but truly an optimist it seems. As the snow melts here in this cold, foreboding city, it reveals its worldly treasures, beer cans, cigarette packs, and a host of other litter that the snow has kept locked in its wintery vault all season. But despite all this blight and rubbish, I notice bright green shoots protruding up from between the various untidy remnants of mankind. It surely must be the beautiful spring daffodils, arising from their winter slumber to once again brighten the world. Nearby I spy the tender young florets of the spring crocus, in all their glorified pastels.
I spy the old chubby groundhog that lives under my neighbors porch, out sunning himself on said neighbors back deck, oblivious to the world after his winter nap. Robins search for worms, and little rabbits run amok. What a beautiful sight, this spring is. Spring is a time of rebirth, and reaffirmation that the world has not given up on mankind, despite all our short comings. We are a treacherous bunch, wasteful and cruel. But the Earth loves us, one and all, for from her were we all conceived. It is an undying, motherly love…and each spring, with all its glory, reaffirms it.
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