That Glorious Reawakening of The Earth

   Why do I like spring so much? 


   You wake up one morning and step outside.  You hear a steady drip...drip...drip of water falling to the boards on the deck after holding onto the rim of the roof until it could hold on no longer.  Instead of seeing a forest of brown and white, from your back door, you see a forest of wet, dark brown bark and dark green pine needles.  You start to feel a tingle in the tips of your toes as if you are starting to thaw just like the world around you.  After taking a deep breath of clean, fresh, country air you slip back inside not wanting to forget this amazing moment because you know that a sudden turn of events could result in a world of white and cold again. 


   Three days later the same event happens, except this time you feel the hint of spring stronger than before.  An irresistible urge to take a walk on the snow packed, icy driveway overcomes you.  While walking your eyes rest on a small, dirt patch on a part of the road that the sun rests upon just a tiny bit longer than any other part.  As soon as you come to the dirt patch you begin a little happy dance that is cut short only because...was that a robin that just alighted on the fencepost to your right? The tingling sensation that started the other day has now grown to your ankles.  Giving one last jump for joy and a "Whoopee" you head back to the house. 


   About a week after this you begin to notice a very recognizable smell in the air.  Spring!  That smell that immediately brings memories of playing catch with your brother in the refreshing spring air, on the only patch of ground free of ice and snow and winter.  That smell that brings hope to a heart that is fast losing courage to face another snow.  Spring is finally underway.  Running outside to see how much of the driveway is brown and not white, you notice that there are large patches of brown in the field, and on the driveway there is even one large enough for you to sprint on for a short moment.  And now, instead of just one robin you see five.  Five robins! That tingling is now unmistakably up to your thighs.  The trees are now composed of a lighter green, not such a dark, dim looking green.  You feel like running, running, running, and your heart feels like it is about to burst with joy and excitement.  Spring! Spring! Spring!


   You only have to wait about two more weeks before you can run the entire length of the driveway with only having to dodge a few icy spots here and there.  Your whole entire being is now tingling, and most of all, your soul.  You no longer feel like a pistachio stuck inside its shell with just enough of an opening to make it long to be outside, but just small enough to dash any hope of getting out without help.  No, you are free!  You can run.  You can breathe in fresh, cool (but not cold), delicious air.  There is mud everywhere now, but you couldn't be more happy about that.  The ground was frozen and now it is alive.  There are thousands of birds flurrying around the treetops singing with the most heavenly voices you have ever heard and ever hope to hear again.  You have just experienced spring, the glorious reawakening of the earth. 


                          And, that, my dears, is why I LOVE spring so much.
                                                                 ~ Brooke