Day 2-88 -- Time of Transition

It is March -- the end of March, but it is still March. Why then do I hear broadcasters and meteorologists talking about the weather as if it didn't belong to a spring season? I'll admit that expectations of it being summer right away bring on my inner rant <smile>. Spring and Autumn are transition seasons which move weather from the two extremes of summer and winter. The gradual changes seem only to bring frustration to many people. Snow is not solely a winter phenomenon, but occurs in autumn, winter and spring (and occasionally shows up in summer). I've reflected on the comments of people to try to understand why this irritates me so much.

The failure, or refusal, to understand the transitions of the seasons bothers me since it is a fact and it happens every year. Yet, the frustrations that I hear and read seem to be wishing for summer to appear NOW and not in a couple more months. I'll admit that the 20 cm of wet spring snow that I shovelled today was not a hit, but it is not unheard of and shouldn't be unexpected. Perhaps the desire inherent in the complaints I've encountered feels problematic to me as they are wishing to bypass chunks of the year -- in effect bypassing great swaths of life. My 99 year old friend told me long ago to never wish my life away. I took that to heart. If we are always waiting for something down the road to appear quickly, we will be missing what is right in front of us now and feel unhappy about where we are now. Spring brings wonderful changes. Today, for example, while shovelling snow, the sun was bright and very warm. That solar-loading has increased. Birds will return in the next few weeks. That great muddy smell of spring will arrive once we melt through the piles of snow. Rivers will flood if this occurs too quickly, so folks should be aware of things they wish for -- they are not always wonderful. Warmer breezes from the south will predominate with time, trees will bud and srping bulbs will bloom. Patience will pay off with the arrival of summer, but I'd wish for people that they find the joys in the change of seasons. Stop and take notice of the changes in the size of snow piles -- mine changed significantly last week <smile>. Be present in the moment.

The song that came to mind today is another from the '60s, but the title and chorus definitely fit the topic of the blog today. Enjoy!

Wishin' and Hopin' -- Dusty Springfield