Look!
Yesterday we went on our first walk in -- literally -- months. The sun was shining all day, and the car's temperature reading hovered around 40, which felt to me like I may as well dig out my flip-flops. Of course, there is still plenty of snow on the ground, but that was suddenly inconsequential. We could go for a walk! The kids were thrilled. I know how much I have missed the warmth of the sun on my face--or at least how tired I am of being inside, bouncing solely between the kitchen, the computer, and the couch, it seems. But I had no idea how much the kids had missed the outdoors. Stefanie, who was hardly talking last time we really played outdoors, said very plainly "I'm going for a walk! I wuv walks."
The walk around the block quickly turned into an adventure. Stefanie, whose name these days is more often "Dora," warned us of the dangerous snakes, crocodiles, lizards, and bugs. She and "her cousin Diego" climbed the tall mountains (of snow), they pointed out the hiding snakes, and were on a mission to find pine cones. "If you see a pine cone, say pine cone!" they chanted.
Well, it wasn't too long before we all yelled "Pine cone!" and my two explorers traipsed into our neighbor's front yard and squatted very seriously in the mud, deciding which pine cones we would be taking home.
"Come here mom! Look! Look at this pine cone!" And it is pretty amazing. All winter the earth seemed asleep under the blanket of snow -- in many ways I felt the same. But beneath the frosty snow lay these treasures, waiting -- preparing? -- until the time would come to be revealed. Of course, these poor pine cones (besides never standing a chance among curious children like mine) likely won't ever do the job their counterparts in a proper forest might. But I none-the-less love this emerging Spring image, right alongside the brave little daffodil shoots that peeked out yesterday morning.
I welcome the spring, the warmth, the blue sky. I welcome the change. I welcome the children's thrill in a simple patch of snow and dried pine cones.
Isn't this tree amazing? The lady who lives next door to this tree says it's an "awful thing." I found her raking up the few dozen petals that had fallen onto her nearby patch of grass, not looking up except to shake her head at a new escapee making its way down. She had not an ounce of interest, patience, or admiration for what I think is one of the most beautiful sights of spring. The tree soaks up all kinds of wonderful nutrients all summer and stores them carefully all winter so that she can welcome the first warm days with brilliance and gusto. There is hardly an ounce of green on this tree because she did all the hard work last year preparing for her coming-out party. The other trees are making their debut with flimsy little yellow-green leaflings, building up their strength for the flowers and seeds to come. I for one am glad to have these robust, proud petals proclaiming spring's arrival. (But then again, I don't have one to clean up after.) =)
