Spring is such a wonderful season. One can smell it in the morning whiff, which carries with it the promise of new life emerging from the stillness of winter.
There seems to be a sense of anticipation in those magical moments, just before the first leaf instantly unfolds in the brightest of greens, and the softest of pink blossoms on the quince tree appear in one instant, as if they have been there the whole time. All of creation seems to be holding a collective breath. What will this season be like? Will it be different than the one before? We all know how we have felt this ‘all-is going-to-be-good’ promise before, just to be left breathless and drained, when the season we had been promised in the beginning turned out to be so different and so harsh.
Especially in these uncertain times, the words of Charles Dickens resonate deeply:
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness. It was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredibility, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us.
Yet, as is the nature of life, there is always the promise of new beginnings in endless cycles that come and go. Some seasons turn out better than others. Some seasons are dry, others wet. Some seem to drag on forever, while others are shorter, but very intense. Learning to ride these waves, while holding onto the promise of new life that will return, is what carries us through one season and into the next. After the decay and death of winter, while spring still holds back and waits in the wings, we might smell this promise of new life. Although we might not be able to see it yet, we have to trust and know that change is on the way. Life holds this sacred promise in the shifting of the seasons, in a timeless cycle that follows a reassuring rhythm.
We have to remind ourselves in these uncertain times that the only constant is change. Nature teaches us that change is good and necessary, and that holding on to what needs to be left behind, is impossible. Spring carries no trace of winter. We have to embrace and experience the darkness and death of winter, to be able to sense the stirring of new life, when it is time for spring to arrive. Otherwise we might not notice the shift.
Feel into this space that might feel like a quiet, still winter landscape. The air is crisp with very little movement. There is a holy silence hanging in the air, an emptiness that is pregnant. In this space there is no expectation, no movement. Just stillness. And coldness. There is very little felt warmth, only a slight stirring. Deep, deep down in the cold, wet earth, a promise is held of new life. In order to feel it, you need to become very quiet. You have to become one with this sense of waiting. You have to spend some time in this place and learn to be okay with it. Let your only desire be to just be here now, not wishing to be in any other place. Stay. Linger on. This is exactly where you need to be.
Once you start feeling this slightest of movements, your heart will light up, feeling something familiar. You will remember. You won’t be able to ignore this flickering of something new and you won’t be able to turn away. Something in you will know that the time for change has come. And you will find a willingness to stand in the dark and unknown place, preparing to receive this new life.
“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”
― Albert Camus
Go out, smell the fresh air as the sun still lurks behind the mountains. Notice how the light slowly changes from night to day, how light replaces darkness, and feel something lift in you, as you become part of another day-night cycle. Feel this shift in the life force becoming part of every cell of your body. Breathe it deeply into your lungs, drink it in like you would the coolest water of a mountain spring. Close your eyes, taste the new day, embrace the promise it holds and make it your own.
“This is going to be the best day ever.”
