Lately it’s snowed every night and melted the next morning in the Atlantic community. It seems nature is battling between winter and spring. Boy, am I ready for spring. We’re only 16 days away.
I can’t wait to see robins hopping in my back yard, searching for worms. Golden coltsfoot poking through the ground alongside road berms lifts my spirits cloud high. Around the time the robins and coltsfoot show themselves, my pussy willow will start to bloom, its dove gray, downy-soft catkins the first sign of foliage for the year.
I yearn for sunshine and my daily walks in God’s beautiful creation. I can’t wait to get back to Tamarack Trail in Pymatuning State Park. It is one of the most peaceful places I’ve ever been. I walked there once last September and was struck by the peaceful silence.
A word of warning: If you decide to try it out, make sure you wear sturdy, waterproof hiking boots and bring your phone. It’s a very rustic trail, and I found myself walking on tree roots as often as on solid ground. Be careful and able to call for help. But, caution aside, it’s a gorgeous place to exercise and feel God’s presence.
I’m blessed to live in one of the most beautiful, peaceful places in the world. I look out my front window and see black Angus and Hereford steers munching hay against a backdrop of bare trees. I have my health, a loving family, and a comfortable home. But I still long for something: spring.
Have you ever noticed how hard it is to remain content? People who are never happy drive me crazy, and yet…I find myself always wanting something I don’t have.
What I want most in the world right now is reprieve. Liberty. Freedom. I feel free when I’m walking or hiking. My cares wash away and my mind clears. Depressed thoughts rise out of my head like steam on hot asphalt. It’s as if warm rain washes away the grime of depressed thinking patterns and only the pure glow of optimism remains. Sometimes I feel a little high after a walk, and believe everything I want is possible.
Don’t get me wrong -- I’m grateful to God that I can ride a Schwinn Airdyne in my basement in late fall and winter. But I ache to walk outside.
There are two ways to look at this yearning. One, I can kick myself for not feeling totally content. Or two, I can channel this desire into hope for what is to come. I think I’ll choose hope, not guilt.
With any luck I won’t have to wait much longer. And whatever it is you long for today, I hope it’s right around the corner, too.
Have a wonderful week. Blessings!