Ancient Sunshine
. The world changes each year when the sun pokes through the clouds and shoots of green poke through the soil. It grows warmer, and breezes blow a little softer. The water is cold, running fast now. The windows to the soul open wide. All who have been sleeping in winter begin to awaken.
There is a quiver of new life in the air.
The fruit bearers start budding.
What changes the most is me, how I look at things, how I act: I wake up each spring from winter’s doldrums, bursting at the seams with new ideas, with finding myself, with new energy. I wake up with the same excitement I felt as a child when the first robin returned. I wake up fascinated by the world that is unfolding by the minute. I open my eyes to beauty I had not noticed. I open my heart to the chirping of birds, to the fragrance of honeysuckle, orange blossoms, iris blooms, and roses, to the laughter of children playing outdoors again. I feel freer inside. I feel lighter on my feet to get things done. The stews and soups of winter give way to lighter fare. I feel enough energy to plant a garden, to fill the flower pots, to sweep away the debris of winter.
The sun -- oh, the lovely sun returns! Warming the little plants in my garden, warming the doves nesting by my kitchen window, warming our eyes, the air in our noses, warming the soul after winter’s blast. The sun blesses us all just as the sun in ancient times kissed the Earth, letting seedlings and saplings grow. The sun melts the ice and the snows of winter until the rivers run swiftly, icy cold. Spring means longer days, more time for walks in the warmth of an ancient sun. Spring means hallowed evenings when the chill is gone from the air, when the buzzing of bees among the citrus does not stop until it is dark, when the smell of dampened earth warmed by the sun lasts all night long. The sun, our ancient sun, is such a gift!
The springtime activities indoors mirror the activities outdoors: spring is a time for cleaning and removing the debris no longer needed from the year past. It is a time for starting new projects – painting this room, renovating that one.
Adding something new gives new life to our home, new meanings to our lives there. So we are happier in spring, a joyous time.
It is a time of celebration of the new beginnings in life. It is a time to celebrate new life. And so we adorn our home with flowers from the garden and invite people to share food . . . and life . . . and beauty.
Spring is a time of great beauty. The trees dressed in pale green lace inspire us to look upward. The sunlight playing among the leaves gives us joy. The colors – oh, the tremendous colors of the garden – fill our hearts. The elegant designs of flowers make us marvel at the skill of the Creator. The well-tended garden makes us feel like there is an order to the universe. The beauty of doe and fawn, of mama lion and her playful cubs, of mare and foal, of elephant and calf fill the heart with love. The glorious beauty of wild rivers in springtime is unsurpassed. The delicate beauty, the translucence of dogwood blossoms, backlit by the sun, is just what we need, as the dark gives way to light. And the refreshment of springtime carries a beauty all its own. All of this beauty uplifts our lives and inspires our souls.
