In the Blink of an Eye

“No winter lasts forever, no spring skips its turn.” Hal Borland

Doesn’t it seem as if Spring takes forever to arrive?  The deep dark days of winter slug slowly by with snow storms and skies laden with clouds. A constant foreboding greets us each morning and, at days end, sends us to bed still wondering what horrors await us.

Well, there it is. Spring will arrive in its own good time and it seems that it creeps slowly for a while, then bursts through with gusto. Bare tree branches suddenly have buds, swelling quicker with each passing day. Bulbs start with a tentative breaking through the ground, then shoot skyward, putting on their flower buds, promising worlds of color and scent.

I try to enjoy each moment of spring, each flowering of the cherry and dogwood trees and each daffodil and tulip. While the weather stays cool, the flowers linger but as soon as the first hints of summer warmth arrive, the petals fall from the trees and the flowers bend their heads and wither. All it takes is one big rain storm with strong winds and the cherry petals swirl down like a snow blizzard.

After all the longing and waiting for Spring, it comes and goes in the blink of an eye. A metaphor for life. Appreciate it, enjoy it, use it wisely. Unlike the seasons, we have but one life, here and gone in the blink of an eye.