For much of the winter our focus has been on stillness, quietude, rest, and recovery. It is how we have attempted to spend what little free time we are afforded in our busy lives. More than that, it has been a mindset, in tune with the natural world around us. It was welcome, it was necessary and more significantly, it was purposeful.
Spring is upon us and with it awakening, renewal, and a looking forward. Many of us celebrate this in our faith communities in the Vernal Equinox, Passover, and Easter. In our home lives we celebrate it with new activities such as cutting the lawn, sprucing up flower beds, and cleaning out gutters.
I for one celebrate Spring by returning to my favorite activity, cycling (I am admittedly a fair weather cyclist and rarely ride through winter). As I've spent several hours pedaling through countryside recently I've been in awe of how everything is coming alive. The constant birdsong, the splashes of color from dogwoods, forsythias, and redbuds, and the first tints of green in an otherwise muted landscape.
As I witness this awakening around me, I also sense it within. There is hope and a renewed joy, and there is a vigor and zest for life that was not as prevalent just a few weeks ago. As I was reflecting on this awakening it occurred to me that this is a natural consequence of the stillness of the previous months. This bursting forth of life within and around us is why we pause and slow down, this is why we rest.
Be Well,
W