One of the things we did while our son and his family were visiting a few weeks ago was work on the garden. Our son and I added compost to the soil and pounded support posts into the rock-hard clay (he actually did the work; I just held the posts upright!), and our grandson helped me plant lots of little red onion starts. The onions have since started coming up, and I’ve been sending periodic pictures of their progress to Massachusetts, where at least the snow has disappeared, even if the wind-chill temperature is still below freezing as I type!
As a child, I hated spring. The strong winds and resultant dust storms made it the most unpleasant season, especially waiting outdoors for the school bus. My strongest memories of spring were sand in my hair and eyes, and the nasty crunching sound that comes when the sand gets in between your teeth…. No fun.
It was like a revelation, then, to move to New England as a young adult and watch crocuses peek through the snow in people’s yards and daffodils spring into existence along the banks of the Charles River. Fruit trees blossomed in profusion and the earth smelled of rich fecundity. I loved it!
Now I’m back in New Mexico, and the spring winds have begun. I have a different perspective now. The dry, windy weather raises the fire danger; that matters much more to me than a bit of sand in my hair (and, I admit, I can now choose when to be outside!). Now I am drawn to the evidence of new growth that comes with spring…both the new growth in the native perennial plants in my front yard and the birth from seed of the tomato and cucumber starts in my guest room window. They remind me that we have both the opportunity to begin again, and to continue to grow, no matter how old and gnarled our perennial trunks might be.
What have you noticed this spring? Where are you experiencing the invitation to new growth?
