Early Spring awakens us, opens us to new possibilities and revitalizes us. How often does it come? As captives of the calendar it comes once a year; but if we’re in touch with the seasons of soul, it comes everyday with surprise and delight. It comes with the tiny plants sprouting up from the ground, the shifts in daylight, the song of the birds and the gentle rain that’s heard in the middle of the night. It comes when the clouds clear, opening the sky to the blue hues that smile on a new day with glad tidings.  It comes when we open, awaken and embrace a new day!

A couple nights ago I went to bed early, turned off the light and heard a noise I hadn’t heard in a very long time. It was the patter of a gentle rain falling from the sky onto the roof, the pavement and the ground. The sound transported me back decades in time to when I was a boy living in Michigan. I was in my upstairs bedroom listening to the same gentle rain wondering about life and the adventures I might experience as Spring gently revealed her presence. As I listened to the greeting, I gave thanks for the wonder and wisdom of this subtle reminder, this special gift.

The next morning, as I was sitting in my study looking out the window, I saw a bird fly down from a tree landing on the neighbors’ lawn. I was surprised to see a robin, my first sighting. I remembered a boyhood custom of making a wish upon seeing the first robin of spring and did so. It too was a magical moment. These seemingly small events touched a place within me that had been dormant for years. I’d become so preoccupied with the outer world that I’d forgotten the inner world that Spring always points to. The wonder of creation was again springing forth.

The first Spring day may not be the first day of Spring on the calendar, but it registers in our hearts, minds and souls. It’s a sign of the eternal revitalization taking place every moment of every day no matter what the weather is outside. It’s a reminder that our interior climate is more important than our exterior one. The beauty of Spring and its perpetual wonder is that it’s ever present, waiting for us to sprout and bud, grow and change, reconfigure and rearrange with every weather pattern we experience. Today’s seasons prepare us for all seasons. Do you see?

This morning, the outside weather started out cloudy and cold. It eventually cleared and warmed. The inside weather also started out cloudy and cold. The persistent warmth of the inner sun and wind however cleared the way.  The musings on March days help us appreciate the challenges we face as well as the successes that pave new ways.  Transitions are ongoingly in process. Our task? Loving what is, basking in the inner sun and transforming clouds that come our way. By transforming our transitions, we create a way into New Life, opening and illuminating a new day!   

• Give yourself the gift of attending to the many Spring days in this month of March. Notice the small changes in the outer environment and those you make in your inner environment. Recognize the inner and outer prompts to the new life that’s birthing here.
• Allow yourself to be continually astonished by the outer and inner Spring that’s birthing in your midst. Give attention to the new life that’s flowing in, around and through you.
• Allow gratitude to enter your inner climate even when it’s cloudy and grey. Notice the inner shift that happens when you do and give thanks for the change in weather.