As my hopes for an early spring have been dashed — again and again — I’ve stopped hoping for an early spring.
I Surrender
to what is.
Spring will be however it will be. What else can I do? Yesterday as I sat at my desk glancing out the window I noticed that snowflakes were falling again. The tree tops were swaying in the wind, skies gray, and bird feeders dancing in the wind.
When I listened within myself I saw that the world is what it is – nothing more, nothing less. Where reality is concerned, there is no “what should be.” There is only what is, just the way it is, right now. The truth is prior to every story. And every story, prior to investigation, prevents us from seeing what’s true.
― Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life
My bird feeders are almost empty. And because the Minnesota Raptor Center has now advised that we take down bird feeders for a couple of months until the avian flu has subsided, I will not be refilling them for some time. As soon as the feeders are empty I will take them down, clean them, and store them in the garage — until it’s safe for the birds to feed them again.
One last image of birds at the feeders for awhile
Counting Blessings
The child in me wants to stomp her foot and scream, “Enough already!”
But all I have to do is watch the daily news to understand that despite the weather, COVID infections rising, and avian flu, I am blessed beyond belief. I have a warm home, plenty of food, and loved ones nearby. No one is shooting at me. Missiles and bombs aren’t destroying my city. I’m not worrying about where my next meal is coming from or shivering in the cold.
What We Remember
I could go on counting my many blessings. Instead I decided to look through some photographs from past years. What I saw surprised me. There were probably more cold Aprils than there were warm Aprils in my photo annals.
Blowing Snow off Driveway mid-April 2018
Yet, what I remember are the beautiful warm Aprils. Each year, I hope and hope for an early spring despite the reality of springtime in Minnesota. Loving what is, is a skill I am working on.
I am a lover of what is, not because I’m a spiritual person, but because it hurts when I argue with reality.
― Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life
How about you? Are you also working on loving what is instead of wishing always for things to be different?
May you walk in beauty.
Here is what spring looks like today in my backyard…
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