I can guarantee it is snowing. These fragile blossoms that bobbed gently in the winds, today bravely hold snow. Winter and Spring continue to battle, and Spring’s weekend victory has been usurped by a wintry blast.
But, perhaps the best balm is a bit of poetry:
Spring Snow
By Richard Greene
Wet snow coats
twig, branch and bud.
Against the still black street
the waning season
limns its last words
in bold calligraphy.
Today I am profoundly thankful for hot coffee, wooly sweaters, and no pressing need to leave the house.
Sometimes, those tiny moments all add up to an overwhelming moment that makes you stop and contemplate how you got there…
Last week was one of those weeks.
It all began with this very simple devotion from Henri Nouwen. Simple, but impactful…Giving and Receiving. I am good at one and horrible at the other. I love Henri Nouwen’s picture of giving and receiving in a yin-yang image. I spent much of the week considering why I struggle with the “receiving” portion of this symbiotic relationship. In every aspect of receiving… truly. Steve could tell you a million times of me getting upset with his help in the kitchen. I am very much of the mindset that it is much better to give than to receive. Yet, these simple words were like an arrow to my heart. I need to work on being a cheerful receiver. It is not easy, and it feels very uncomfortable to be on “the receiving end” of the equation.
Then, on Friday, Kym ushered in Poetry Month with this beautiful poem from Derek Walcott. And with those simple words, another spate of arrows struck my heart. I have printed the poem out and it is hanging at my desk. I have read it multiple times since Kym posted it and each time it overwhelms me with raw emotion and, yes, tears. On the heels of Michelle’s 5-day Self-Portrait Challenge where she pushed us to look at ourselves in new ways. As usual, she pushed me towards those uncomfortable edges of myself, but I managed to steer clear of them and superficially participate in each day’s assignment. This poem, however, brought that discomfort front and center.
So, this week, my tiny moment is me.
I am not writing this post to garner well wishes from you, Gentle Reader – in fact, I seriously debated turning off comments for this post.
However, what I am closing with is a question or two for you; how you deal with those laid bare moments – whatever they might be. Do you push the difficulty back in the corner and ignore it? Or do you take a more pro-active approach?
Little bits of time,
Every single day creates
Winter memories
When I originally “planned” this year of stitching, I had something much different in mind. And, so I began with that plan, but I was not happy with how it looked and so over the course of the first days of winter my stitching changed. I did not remove the parts I did not like, but rather I incorporated them into the design.
They are a good reminder for me, don’t undo – improve!
Winter had lots of snow, a good bit of sunshine to temper the grey days, swirling winds, and so many birds. I love the memories that this stitching holds.
At long last, winter is over, and spring is here! And, while it might not feel like spring in my neighborhood today as the last gasps of winter roar outside.
Inside, spring is beginning on my canvas, and my mind is just buzzing with the possibilities!
