I could not contain my happiness when I saw flowers blooming again outside. You see, when you hear people announce, “It’s the first day of spring!” and you don’t see a single sign of proof that it is, it’s difficult to join in with the celebration. But I am seeing colors popping out from the ground now and that is just amazing! They are a very welcome addition to the green, brown and some specs of white snow here and there.
It is springtime indeed! I can finally have my seedlings enjoy real outdoor sunshine and be one with the earth where they belong. Well, maybe not the earth part yet. By experience, the ground is not completely thawed from snow until about second to third week of June every year. I was also told by some veterans in the area that they have had experienced being snowed in celebrating 4th of July before.
Well, more than ten years living here I haven’t seen snow during 4th of July celebration yet, rain maybe, but not snow – and that’s a relief. I took my camera outside and documented the first vibrant colors to greet me this year. It’s just a joy to see golden-yellow, dark purple, light purple and white emerged from the snow-soaked mulch. Just days past you could not tell a mound of snow was hiding colorful gems underneath.
An Aunt told me before that purple was my favorite color. I did not think that was true. I like all bright colors but most of the time I wear beige, brown and black. I thought of it now purple is the dominant color in my garden. I’m looking forward to the sights of my next blooms: purple iris, pink and fuchsia peonies and eight kinds of lavender.
My happiness did not last long however when snow visited spring again. The sky turned dim and snow began to fall. My little ones hurried to go inside and put on their snow coats. Not very long they were joyously running outside trying to catch some snow in their hands, praying they would have enough to build a snowman. I took a last shot of my snowed upon spring blooms.
How easily the weather changed my state of emotion. I found myself reflecting from what source I derived my happiness from. The stages of life progress but sometimes unpredictable like a weather. We grow and bloom as expected but occur at different phases in our journey. We need to learn to navigate around factors we cannot control.
The site where I planted my snow crocus mixture was very rocky. I took what I could from the rocks underneath but I know I was only scratching the surface, more rocks hide deep down below. The roots of the bulbs have to spread out and around any rocks that prevent them from obtaining the nourishment they need from the ground.
I thought my crocuses wont make it well because of the soil condition where I planted them , yet they flourish even beyond the perimeters of the stakes I put around them. Little things in my life – my little flowers and my little kids taught me the value of being resilient to anything I have no control of.
Life may give us the right thing at the wrong time, but if we have the right attitude we would get through it somehow. We may drag our feet unwilling to take the next step, but as long as we keep on moving we would somehow reach our destination even at a slower pace.
Success in life is not guaranteed by our stature or our wealth. The little flowers can attest that Someone bigger than them is in charge and they can continue blooming. So when the weather changes its course and clips you on the wing, renew the hope that was in your heart when nature sang the song of spring.
May the song below inspire you to learn from the teachings of the little flowers. Enjoy the video!
