The Greening of Spring

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Recently I read an article about earthquakes. It reminded me that here in the lower Midwest, specifically in the St. Louis area, we sit on what is called the “New Madrid Fault” – New Madrid being about 160 miles south of St. Louis. In fact, in 1990 word was out that an earthquake was coming! We all dutifully stocked up on bottled water. Our children’s school requested that there be another contact other than us in case we could not be reached or able to pick up our children. Employers had drills for taking cover. Fortunately, the earthquake never came. 

We also sit in what has been known as Tornado Alley. Tornadoes seem to be occurring more in the south now. However, St. Louis is still in tornado range. Just this past Saturday evening, four tornadoes came through, swift and furious, targeting parts of St. Louis and then zooming over to our Illinois neighbors as they so often do.

Sometimes on our life’s journey we have our own earthquake experiences; life events that rip us open or tear us apart; maybe it’s a divorce, a loss of employment, an unexpected illness, the death of a loved one. The list goes on. We discover very quickly how vulnerable and fragile we are. Like rebuilding after an earthquake or a tornado, the rebuilding of our life, our heart, our spirit goes very slowly. We learn to rebuild gently with patient persistence and a circle of friends.

What we usually see in the news post-earthquake or post-tornado is the Community reaching out. Everyone pitching in, political and religious differences tossed aside for the greater good of the Community. There is a generosity buried under the wreckage that issues forth and brings us together. It is the coming together for the greater good of all that brings healing and hope.

Today on a slightly chilly, but sunny day, the lawns are glowingly green. The dogwoods and redbuds are showing off nature at its best. The amateur gardeners are out there planting away. There is a calm that belies tornadoes and earthquakes.

This greening of spring fills me with hope. I am fascinated with how either my life or the grass can look so brown and dull and then the rains fall and presto; the lawns, the trees, the tulips magically transform into the verdant greening of spring. A special thank you to the crocus flowers who are bold and brave enough to poke out amidst the snow and cold to preview to us that spring will come. In nature everyone has their gift!

May each of us find healing and hope in the mystical greening of spring.

Bridget