Happy Spring!

The beauty of life in our state is its unceasing change. From winter to spring, cold to hot, wet to dry, death to life. Clear blue skies give way to looming gray clouds, and a burnt, blackened prairie transforms into a lush field of cheerful flowers within a few short weeks.

We bid farewell to winter (trying to push it out the door, at this point), and urge spring to hasten its advance. We know that buds are lurking just beneath the surface, underground, ready to burst forth. The bees and grasshoppers are waiting for long, warm days to emerge from their winter hideouts, and the monarchs are preparing for their great migration north out of Mexico.

Soon the dry, brown remnants of last summer will give way to tender green shoots, then to bright petals of pink and yellow. The male red-winged blackbirds will welcome their (several) mates to their territory, and begin defending it from interlopers, be they other blackbirds or unfortunate pedestrians straying too near.

Spring is the time of resurrection, bursting with the promise of the future. Embrace and enjoy it, for it passes quickly. Welcome back all the old friends from last summer, and spare a thought for the poor souls in less temperate climates, who don’t get the pleasure of anticipating spring after a long, cold winter.

Originally published on Sycamore Greenway Friends