Spring’s Eternal Hope

60: (April 2025)

April is National Poetry Month. I don’t typically write poetry and know very little about it, (as will become evident!). That said, I came across a couple of poems that I wrote years ago that still speak to me, and I decided to share them with you. The simple lines of words that spring from the season itself awaken something inside me; maybe they will stir something within you as well.

The first one is about loss. As we age, the losses accumulate more in our own lives and in those we love, but nature is always at the ready to teach us valuable lessons.

Untitled #1 

I notice the ending more in the spring. 
So unnatural.                                              
So out of place
with all these beginnings.
Yet I cannot grieve long.
I see the spiraled leaf poking
through the brittle clumps of soil.
Who can argue
with lily of the valley?

The second poem is about color. Color can absolutely transport me. Although I wrote this many years ago, I can still access that feeling of being utterly enthralled by the beauty of the color, of being moved by it.

Untitled #2

Purple hue saturates my wall.
Color from magic, from wonder,
from deep, deep.                              
Color so wondrous,
I investigate,
almost afraid my footsteps will frighten it away.  
It’s the azalea outside my window.
It’s the sun
shining through myriad petals,
throwing color upon the blue paint
on my wall,
and caressing it with violet shine.
I see it,
with gratitude.

Springtime demonstrates tenacity, resilience. It can also pierce us with its fierce beauty. I find that when steeped in nature’s gifts, it is easier to hold onto hope for better days ahead.

40: (April 2005)

I got my first cell phone—a very generous birthday gift from my brother and sister, who have been longing to bring me into the 21^st century. I had resisted getting one myself because I am technologically challenged. For example, I still use a paper address book for my email addresses. People tell me that the computerized phone book is superior and easy to use, but I have not figured that one out yet. So a cell phone seemed like another mystery of modern life I might do without, although I knew it could come in handy if I ever had a car breakdown on a back country road.

The cell phone sat on the counter for several days. I admired it, opened and closed it, and waited for my daughters to come home to help me figure out how to use it. My younger daughter almost instantaneously began taking photographs with the phone. Then she ‘wallpapered’ the screen to her liking and checked for voice messages. I held myself back from lecturing her on being a showoff. “But how do you make an actual phone call?” I asked, and she quickly gave me a lesson. It was all very exciting.

Feeling rather self-satisfied for knowing how to use the phone for making and receiving calls, I parked it back on the kitchen counter. The next night, my older daughter made what seemed like a radical suggestion. “Now you have to carry it with you, Mom, so I can call you.” Carry it with me? What a thought! So I dropped it into my purse the next day.

There I was, my first day with a cell phone in tow. That afternoon, on the way to my daughter’s school, a van on the road in front of me began to pull over to the shoulder. Then it kept going, right on top of a big, stone wall, very nearly flipping over. I jumped out of my car and ran to the driver, an elderly gentleman, who was shaken but did not appear to be hurt. My big moment had arrived: “May I call for help? I have a cell phone,” I said. I mean, what are the chances? Sometimes, there are so many little miracles happening in my life that I cannot keep up with them! We called his garage, then the police, and soon help was on the way.

I felt so proud. I had remembered how to turn on the phone and how to make a call! A friend later pointed out that I should also consider keeping the phone turned on if I ever want to actually receive phone calls. One step at a time.

Maybe someday you will see me taking random photos, sending emails, and browsing the web as I go about my day, cell phone in hand. In the meanwhile, if you ever ride your car on top of a stone wall, don’t worry; I’ve got you covered.

60-40:

It is somewhat shocking for me to read the reflection above. I’ve come a long way! I consider myself to be technologically agile now, and yes indeed, I do take random photos and do all those things you can do on a cell phone. In fact, I consciously limit my time on the phone, because I recognize how easily I can become addicted to it.

The passage of time can certainly change a person. It is a good reminder of how important it is to be open to learning throughout all of life’s stages. Nature is a willing teacher of the most important kind throughout the various seasons of life for the student who is ready to attend to her lessons. Happy Spring!