March

March is the month when winter yields to spring. Some years this is an easy, painless process. We marvel over the crocuses bravely pushing through the stiff, solid earth to bring us lovely new color. We soak in the brilliant sunshine that has been gone for so long. The sweet sounds of playing children and chirping birds return. People stroll and lunch outside, eager to feel every bit of the new season. But this year it is not so easy. We are slowly working our way out of one of the worst winters most of us can remember. We have had some glimpses of spring, with warmer temperatures, bu winter continues to come roaring back. 

Transitions in life are a lot like March. We might be experiencing the loss of a loved one, a new job, moving to a new place, or having a baby. These big life shifts leave us in a state of transition for quite a while. One day you feel like you've got this thing. You feel powerful, with forward momentum, and can't remember how it felt just a short time ago, during your personal "winter." Other days, it feels like winter will never end. All it takes is one little reminder, like a cold chill in the air, to stop you in your tracks. You feel cold and just want to go inside and sit by the fire. You wonder if winter will ever end and long for the warm, long summer days. The interesting thing about seasons of transition is that we really don't know when they are over. Will this new blast of arctic air be the last of the winter of 2014? We don't know when the last bit of winter happens until it is long gone. Sometime in April or May or June, it suddenly occurs to us that winter has indeed ended. We move confidently into the new season and stop thinking about snow shovels and coats. We remember winter and know it will come again, but bask in the summer sun in all its glory as long as we can.