Spring has Sprung

Dr. Donna Mann

I remember certain actions as a child that told me spring was here regardless of the weather. Housecleaning in the farmhouse began. Talk about washing walls, putting new wallpaper over oil stains from the coal stove and painting the sun porch floor brought the wallpaper rolls and paint cans to the back kitchen. The last few stitches completed the quilt attached to the frames in the front bedroom. Newspapers saved over time waited to be used to clean windows.

Spring came bringing with it an anticipated time of change, of freshness, of a beginning. It was like taking off a heavy coat, breathing deeply or taking a step into the unknown. It gave birth to new insights, perspectives and hopeand it's not much different today. We remember the little adage "Spring forward, fall back" and turn our clocks ahead one hour.

Spring came on March 20 according to the calendar, despite Wiarton Willie's prediction that it should have arrived long ago. Even the weatherman said the sun would shine and the snow would melt away. The store windows display a showcase of spring attire in spite of snow flurries that turn into storms.

Regardless of our interpretation of what spring should look like, it arrived amidst the snow. In all its glory spring burst through the curtains of winter at sunrise exactly on the day she was expected.

Is sap not running in the hard wood bush? Have sales of paint and wallpaper not increased? Are farmers not patiently watching and predicting how many days it will be until they can get 'on the land'? Are flower seeds not being sown under grow lights or on top of refrigerators? Are people not seeking out car washes to wash winter's salt off their vehicles? Are the days not longer? Where we not excited when we saw the first robin hopping over the frozen earth looking in vain for his first worm?

The world welcomed spring. As the sunrise moved westward, it was greeted on country sideroads, valleys, mountains, and populated cities and towns. Various temperatures and weather conditions revealed spring as the sun slipped across the International Date Line and gave birth to another day.

Yes, it's still cold here in Grey County, and it snows every few days, but there are too many signs of spring in the air to deny her presence.

How then is springtime like life in general? At first, it comes disguised in surprising faces hidden within and behind the definitions of other names. Something like finding celebration in sorrow, light in darkness and spontaneous surprises in predictable circumstances.

Perhaps it reminds us of being told that a certain food is good for us even when it doesn't taste good. Maybe, it's even a little like knowing we're loved when it doesn't feel like it.

Spring has arrived - enjoy!

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