We are having a late spring here in Regina, it has been cool and wet. The true sign of spring though, is when a couple of the trees in our back yard go into full bloom. The Mayday tree and the Crab apple tree are in full bloom. The blossoms are falling off the Mayday tree and they are so plentiful it looks like the confetti from fifty weddings on the ground. The trees are just beautiful. They remind me every year that a priod of cold darkness is always followed up by a beautiful awakening.

This year the trees look more stunning than in previous year’s. I ponder, does a longer winter make a more beautiful blossom? Does increased adversity make the tree shine brighter when the ravages of winter pass? Some of the most incredible people I know, are the ones who have had long winter periods in their life. Perhaps it was a troubled childhood, a rebellious destructive period in their adolescence, an unhealthy marriage. The people who have endured their cold bitter dark period and come through the other side seem to have a different perspective. It is as if the weathering of hardships has made them more aware of the spring beauty around them. Instead of living in an embittered state, they have a renewed appreciation of the world and its beauty. Today, I want to draw lessons from the blossoms that are shining bold and bright in my back yard. Today I will not reflect or analyze winter, I will simply be in the moment of these blossoms.

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. ~ Anais Nin