Here We Grow

As the season begins to change in my area, things are starting to grow.  Winter is fading, at least on some days, and we see flowers and trees coming alive again.  Spring is my favorite season. 

When I was a girl, we had crocus bulbs in our yard.  Each day, new purple blooms would emerge and we would count them.  I have fond memories of going out on chilly days to check and see if any new blooms had come.  This process of watching and waiting was my early introduction to mindfulness, although I didn’t know it then.
 
Even today, while the temperatures are still in transition outside, I need things to grow around me.  I plant bulbs indoors this time of year.  My favorite are hyacinths.  The blossoms are lovely and they smell divine.  Bulbs start out pretty unattractive but transition into something glorious.  What a great reminder of possibilities!
 
This past weekend, I purchased some small lettuce plants in an effort to eat more greens.  They are filling my kitchen windows with their fresh, green color…salads coming!  Keeping something new growing in my living spaces seems hopeful to me.  Amidst a world full of things I cannot control, these plants are a bright spot.  A new spring plant reminds me that growth is always possible, even in the darkness of winter.