Why Experiencing Spring Matters

rootedness, yard clippings, and daylight's slow crescendo

“I fell into peace with the seasons changing me. No permission required.”

from Counterweights

I closed out Counterweights with a chapter titled First Bloom, in which I extolled the virtue of being present and fully awake to the small things that help direct us out of the doom spiral. Specifically, watching my peony bloom. (Yes, this is our annual Peony-themed post. I literally cannot be helped.) I wrote,

“It happens slowly, then in a rush. I’ll catch the first thrill of coral peeking through the green, the queens of summer unfurling their petticoats in a proclamation of hope. I will be there for that first bloom; thanks be to God.”

Beloveds, I’m setting out for Texas early next week, and though I’m looking forward to this final chapter in the Counterweights Book Tour, it is looking more and more like the peonies might arrive in my absence. I am doing my best to accept that none of this happens according to my timing.