The winters out here are dry, brutal, icy cold. Vegetation disappears and roots dig deep underground. Snow and ice covers the soil bringing much needed comfort to the world beneath our feet, like a soft, thick blanket on a cold day.
Trees have lost their leaves, with only a few dry ones still clinging to dead-looking branches. Grass has withered and browned. Beautiful flowering bushes like Crepe Myrtles and Azaleas look like sticks and weeds as they stand barren in flower beds.
And the dreary days with dark cloud cover and lack of bright sun brings a sense of darkness over the hearts and minds of the beasts and people below.
Suddenly, without much notice…
Spring comes.
Violent weather, deep dives and high rises in temperatures bring with it a degree of uncertainty on which way the weather is going to manifest itself on the morrow.
Ah! Spring!
The unrest caused by the instability also brings with it the transformation from death to one of great beauty.
Flowers poke their heads from the soggy soil. Dead trees start to shake off their crispy leaves to make room for the green buds beginning to sprout. Bulbs that have waited patiently for the warmth of the sun begin to grow tall testing the air to make sure the days are long enough before allowing their flowers to emerge.
But the worst part…
The bane of every homeowner in the Midwest is the grass.
After any dry spell, the grass drinks heavily from the rain waters penetrating the earth.
Without warning, the greenery suddenly grows 5” per day during the rains. After they rains stop, the ground is still too soggy to use a mower, so the grass takes full advantage of the days that follow. Fearlessly they push upward to reach the warmth of the sun.
Once the soil is dry enough, the lawnmowers are able to be pulled out.
The first mow is always the worst. The machines choke and struggle on the now-thickened plant matter. Only bush hogs and heavy-duty lawn tractors can force their way through the mass of tangles.
And if the lawn is left alone for even a week from this time until Fall, it becomes all but impossible to mow. But once mowed, looks like a lush green carpet.
Spring…
It really is one of my two favorite times of the year.
The sights and scents, warm days and cool nights bring joy to the heart!
It is also a sign that the hot, blistering heat of summer is right around the corner.
Never is there a dull moment in the Midwestern climate. The changes between freezing temperatures and unbearable heat then back to the cold, icy days of winter happen within the span of only a few short weeks. From bundling up in layers of warm clothes to longing for icy cold water and back again is the dizzying cycle of our weather here.
Springs is a time of renewed life. And it should remind us that all of life is cyclical. A time for life, and a time for death. All returns to a place of beauty and renewal.
It is a time of hope for better days and seeing beauty in all that exists around us.
Spring. The joy of the resurrection displayed in full color before our eyes.