The View from Here

I didn’t realize how much I needed spring to come after this long year of Covid where days and months passed in a blue light blur of Zoom teaching and meetings. The bleakness of winter only added to the feelings of isolation and sadness for the loss of so much life- and way of life.

When I saw the first Iris bloom (my favorite flower) on a walk with Marley the other day, it gave me such a rush of joy. It felt like I was finally seeing a light at the end of this long, dark, tunnel. I know that we are far from a return to normal life, however, the coming of spring is a reminder that life goes on, that there is a cycle to everything, a beginning and an ending. We are getting closer to a gateway through to the other side of this nightmare, one vaccination at a time.

We decided to go shopping for plants yesterday. We’ve had severe weather and lots of rain in Alabama, but the clear Saturday would prove to be perfect for a morning bike ride and plenty of planting and weeding. It made me happy to see all of the color and life back in our gardens. Just that one day of normalcy, our usual spring routine, was medicinal in countless ways. Dan worked in the front yard while I took care of my ‘Secret Garden’ in the back of our property, my sweet Marley lounging in the sun and periodically coming to kiss my cheek as I worked- just as all of my dogs have done over the years. Such a wonderful touchstone.

This time of renewal, of the awakening of the Earth after a long slumber, is just the tonic that we all need right now. A reminder that there is always hope as we spring forward into better days ahead. I feel that hope in my heart and it is such a welcome and beautiful thing.