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Posts tagged ‘Spring’

Apr 24

Prelude to Spring

“April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.” – William Shakespeare

“The earth was all before me. With a heart
Joyous, nor scared at its own liberty,
I look about; and should the chosen guide
Be nothing better than a wandering cloud,
I cannot miss my way.”― William Wordsworth, The Prelude

Those moments before spring, tipping point to awakening, the prelude;
The anticipation of the kiss, the unfolding, the sweetness within reach;
Our winters to springs;
Within and around;
Alone and connected to all at the same time;
Joy in the prelude, the postlude, the new beginning;
Celebration and exultation in each day.

“Here must thou be, O man,
Strength to thyself — no helper hast thou here —
Here keepest thou thy individual state:
No other can divide with thee this work,
No secondary hand can intervene
To fashion this ability. ‘Tis thine,
The prime and vital principle is thine
In the recesses of thy nature, far
From any reach of outward fellowship,
Else ’tis not thine at all.” ― William Wordsworth, The Prelude

“Bliss it was in that dawn to be alive But to be young was very heaven.”— William Wordsworth

Apr 14

Headlong

“Time is a kind of river, an irresistible flood sweeping up men and events and carrying them headlong, one after the other, to the great sea of being.” – Marcus Aurelius

“The rivers flow not past, but through us.” – John Muir

Winter’s grip loosened by spirts of spring warmth, soft drizzle mixed with snow, full April showers.
Winter holds a bit longer, spring patiently waits its turn.
Certainty in her return but the full transition not yet complete.
The ice breaks to water, from drip to raging waterfall, to open water.
Returning to the basin, home, a place of belonging.
The tide roles in to kiss the river’s mighty entry to be joined, unfolded, united.
Allow the seasons their due, their place, their work, their purpose.
Shaping, molding, stretching, expanding, deepening, releasing, embracing.
Through is the only path.

“I would love to live like a river flows, carried by the surprise of its own unfolding.” – John O’Donohue

Mar 21

Signs of Spring

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”― Margaret Atwood

“The deep roots never doubt spring will come.”― Marty Rubin

Softening earth.
Dirt on the forehead.
Long days.
Warm sun.
Awakening.
Unfolding.
Crossing the threshold into new.
A foot on each side, leaning forward.
Tipping point almost tipped.
As the transition from winter to spring arrives yet again, see the signs, join the dance.
Seeds planted ready to break ground.

“My appointed work is to awaken the divine nature that is within.” – Peace Pilgrim

Mar 19

Spring Mud

“No mud, no lotus.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

“Life is always a rich and steady time when you are waiting for something to happen or to hatch.”― E.B. White, Charlotte’s Web

Spring is showing off this weekend with temperatures in the 50s and 60s.
The earth uncovered from months of white.
Mud will show up first, followed by flowers.
The cusp of something new, of transition.
Let it enter, soften and arrive outside and inside even more.
The gift of spring.

“Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems.” – Rainer Maria Rilke

Mar 14

2 Comments

Cheerful Heart

“Beauty is always knocking, we just forget to let it in.” – Sarah Blondin

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up bones.” – Proverbs 17:22

The weather forecast this week is temperatures into the 40s and 50s.
Soon the snowpack will become puddles.
The dormant grass exposed.
The light will linger longer.
The sun stronger.
The earth warms, beginning the thaw.
Spring is on the cusp of leading the dance of shifting seasons.
Winter certainly is not done but closer to the finish than the start.

Blessed are those with a cheerful heart in all seasons.
Who find the gift of winter solace and of spring renewal.
May you see and immerse in beauty in all seasons.
In transitions when one foot is in winter and one in spring.
Dry bones come to life.
A cheerful heart good medicine to heal, restore and transform.

“Beauty is the illumination of your soul.” – John O’Donohue

Mar 2

Holy in the Ordinary

“O lord, make this Lenten season different from the other ones. Let me find you again. Amen.” – Henry Nouwen

“Lent is a time of going very deeply into ourselves… What is it that stands between us and God? Between us and our brothers and sisters? Between us and life, the life of the Spirit? Whatever it is, let us relentlessly tear it out, without a moment’s hesitation.” – Catherine Doherty

No rules.
No judgment.
No lecture.
No guilt.
No condemnation.
Allow inquiry.
A call, a whisper, an invitation to all.
Open to possibility.
Enter reflection, to slowing, to sacred.
Unknowing and mystery.
Witness and validate.
40 days.
Find the holy in the ordinary.
Without a moment’s hesitation.

The Holy in the Ordinary by Ann Weems

“Holy is the time and holy is this place,
And there are holy things that must be said.

Let us say to one another what our souls whisper…
O Holy One, cast your tent among us;
come into our ordinary lives and bless the living!

Forty days stretch before us,
forty days of hungering after faithfulness,
forty days of trying to understand the story,
and then, Holy Week…
O God, if every week were holy…

These forty days stretch before us,
and those of us who believe
yearn to feel Your presence,
yearn to be Your people;
and yet, the days fill with ordinary things
with no time left
for seeking the holy,

Spiritual contemplation is all right
for those who have the time,
but most of us have to make a living.

Most of us have to live in the real world
where profanity splashes and blots out
anything holy.

Where, O Holy One, can we find you in this unholy mess?

How, O God, can we find the holy in the ordinary?”

Mar 1

The Journey to Spring

“Spring unlocks the flowers to paint the laughing soil.” – Bishop Reginald Heber

“Never yet was a springtime, when the buds forgot to bloom.” – Margaret Elizabeth Sangster

Snow still on the ground.
More to come.
Temperatures on a rollercoaster.
45 and sunny.
10 with windchill.
The seasonal dance as we move closer to Spring, but not quite there.
Birds begin to sing and awaken.
Light lingers longer.
Ice to water back to ice.
Brown grass peeks out of patches where melt has occurred.
Close but not next.
The prelude to the beginning of spring.
Anticipation, preparation and waiting.
Desert time.
The eve of Lent, 40 days.
A container, a well, a room, a place, a space.
Reckoning. Resolve. Reflection. Inflection.
The journey to spring, to resurrection begins with ashes.
Where we come from and where we return.
The in between is the gift we get and give.
Travel well, in companionship, never alone.
The middle ground, the path, the journey to spring is here.
Patiently, take the full trip, into depth, quiet and beauty.
Bloom ahead.

“Have patience with all things, but first of all with yourself.” – St. Francis de Sales

Feb 21

Hint of Spring

“The deep roots never doubt spring will come.” — Marty Rubin

“The deep roots never doubt spring will come.” — Marty Rubin

“That is one good thing about this world…there are always sure to be more springs.” — L.M. Montgomery

A flame.
A spark.
A glimpse.
A taste.
A foretelling.
45 degrees in February.
Cardinals dancing in the sun, perching on branches.
Brilliant red pops.
Hints, signs and wonders abound.
Instilling hope and assurance that spring always comes.
And spring can live in our hearts through all seasons.

“Despite the forecast, live like it’s spring.” — Lilly Pulitzer

May 21

The Greening

“All theory, dear friend, is gray, but the golden tree of life springs ever green.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“Life is the fire that burns and the sun that gives light. Life is the wind and the rain and the thunder in the sky. Life is matter and is earth, what is and what is not, and what beyond is in Eternity.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Heavy soothing long rain pushes past the surface, deep into the soil bound for the roots. The brilliant greening comes from the rain and sun dancing, each doing its part, incomplete without both.

We want springs without winters, growth without struggle, smooth sailing without wind, roads without detours, green and flowers without rain. In the burdens, we find the blessings. In the blessings, we find the gratitude. In the rain, we awaken to the green.

Psalm 23
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”

Lie down in green pastures, sit by still waters, restore your soul, your cup overflows. Goodness, mercy, grace.

May 20

Bring in the Lilacs

“On your journey, don’t forget to smell the flowers. Take time out to notice that you’re alive. You can only live in one day.” – Ray Fearon

“One can state, without exaggeration, that the observation of and the search for similarities and differences are the basis of all human knowledge.” – Alfred Nobel

Waiting for the coffee to finish filling the cup, I looked out my kitchen window gazing at the lilacs. A command clearly came to mind – “bring in the lilacs.” Following the prompt, I went out in my pajamas to bring them in.

Lilacs demand to be noticed. Their season is short. So while they are here, we are called to enjoy them, to bring them in.

Become an observer, a listener, a witness. See what’s right in front of you in a new way and bring it closer. Awaken, notice and take in the beauty already present, absorb it into your bones, breath it in deeply.

On your hurried way to what’s next, to your list of “to-dos,” to meeting after meeting, get distracted, interrupted and awaken to now, to this moment.

Sweet fragrance, rich flavor, brilliant color all within reach. Arms-length, in view, available now. From transaction to transformation. From grind to gratitude.

“One hour of life, crowded to the full with glorious action, and filled with noble risks, is worth whole years of those mean observances of paltry decorum, in which men steal through existence, like sluggish waters through a marsh, without either honor or observation.” – Walter Scott

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