The Celestial Return of Spring

Over the course of a calendar year the earth has a pattern of four seasons every three months, and it is consequential to the rhythm of living things. Of the four seasons, Spring has always been a time of renewal and second chances. It has so much to offer and for many it is a time of celebration. There are elements of spring that are especially abundant in grace and endurance. The signs of Spring have more meaning than one would realize, qualifying it as not just a change in a physical space, but cloaked as a spiritual experience as well. The literal changes in the season can be used as a metaphor on a personal level, and it also can be used to explain things within the structure of a larger community.

One of the chants of spring has a line, “rain, rain, go away, come back another day” and while most of us are frustrated that such a symptom of spring can interrupt our excitement for change in our environment, it is important to understand that the rain has a critical role during this tender season. It cleanses the earth from the sleepy season of winter. As the snow melts, we start to see brown grass that can be sharp to the touch, looking as if it has died but hoping that it will grow back. The unraked leaves are a symbol of the resting seasons of fall and winter and when cleared away the grass is allowed to grow. The nourishment of the rain creates symmetry along with the warmth of the sun as it moves closer to the surface of the earth. Sometimes the puddles created by those first rains can be deep and difficult to pass through, and I believe that there is a reason that little children stop and look down at those pools of water; searching for something that adults are too skeptical or jaded to see. It can be hard to imagine that there will be more color to the earth and that thunderstorms will work their magic as spring moves into summer.

Mud is a natural, if not annoying part of the cycle of spring. It is easy to get stuck and can be tough to escape and as a rule, its mucky and difficult to get off one’s shoes and clothing when contaminated by it. Mud is often the last thing to resolve during the Spring season, even as the increasing temperatures warm the earth. Attempting to get out of the muck can be so frustrating that seeing beyond it can be very difficult.

There is the teasing of temperatures that can one day be near freezing, and a few days later reach the highs that guarantee that better times are coming. The extremes in the numbers can be an example of how adaptation is necessary. It requires tolerance, but inevitably can cause frustration leading to a negative shift in mood. However, when the leaves and plants start to reappear it reminds us that even as there are fluctuations in the energy of the sun, and growth that feels as if it is constant and consistent, the environment can quickly change. It is a time when flexibility is key and there is a need to accept that the earth knows best. It is all about patience.

And then there is that pesky spring snow, that for the most part disappears shortly after it appears. It feels traitorous and can lead to frustration in its difficulty to predict and can abruptly change the course of activities for a few days. Just as you are preparing for the season of growth and time in the warm sun, the earth becomes coated in a substance that was once excitedly described as a "winter wonderland." It now feels like betrayal, stalling what we thought was imminent. It makes us stop and appreciate the rain and mud, looking even more forward to the season that will awaken our senses in a different way. It is more proof that when one believes that things are moving in a new and productive way, we can be stopped in our tracks. It is more evidence that there are many things we can’t control.

It is these lessons and gifts of the earth that make it difficult to understand the things that humans have done to the planet that have caused its destruction and grief. It’s about the relationship that we have with our home, and the disregard of the conformity that is mutually beneficial. The reality is that it is about betrayal rooted in all that we have taken from it based on our desires and selfish needs. It is thinking that we know better than a planet that provides everything we need, and one that has always cared for itself...until now.