“How often does your spring come?” asks the author Gary Zukav. “If you are a prisoner of the calendar, it comes once a year. If you are creating authentic power, it comes frequently, or very frequently.”
The spring equinox officially arrived on March 20 at 5:58 p.m. ET, but here in New England where I live, that date can come weeks before we actually take a deep breath and think, “aah, spring.”
Many years ago, I planned a party for my husband, who was returning home after a long overseas deployment with the Army Reserves. The date for the party happened to be March 21, so my unofficial theme was the newness of spring and the fresh start the season represents.
The weather that day was raw, wet and cold. My pastel-colored outfit was almost hilarious in how incongruous it was with the wind chill. But it was warm and happy inside the party, both from the food and music, and from the love of the friends and family who had gathered together to welcome Rob home.
Spring had sprung in my mind, if not in the forecast. I remember that feeling every year, especially when I see spring bulbs pushing toward the light through mud and slush. With enough “authentic power,” as Zukav puts it, we can find the light regardless of the weather.
Waiting for spring is an exercise in patience. It’s also an exercise in presence, because if you live in as fickle a climate as I do, you know how fleeting those tender early days of sunshine are.
Before long, the warmth will build toward its summer crescendo. For now, though, let’s rejoice in our ability to have a fresh, renewed mindset, deploying our positive outlook in the service of frequent springtimes.
