April 1st, I woke up to find mother nature had played the best joke of all. It was snowing! How could this be? I liked snow, but winter was over as far as I was concerned. I had bid it farewell, like a relative after a month-long visit. You’re happy to see them but are relieved when they leave.
Spring had teased me with temperate days, budding flowers, and early morning birdsong. Now that I’d had a taste of it, I didn’t want to go back. I’d already pulled out my warm weather clothes, started prepping for spring cleaning, and had my to do list for the garage and yard. It had been warm and sunny for quite some time, so I had no reason to expect winter’s chilly reappearance.
Instead of grumbling about the unexpected snowfall, I stood silently and watched it for a while. I began to notice its beauty— how it shimmered in the bright sunlight, how it frosted the trees, and created a calming stillness. My mood soon lightened.
Life, just as in nature, often brings the unexpected. We can complain, get angry and bemoan our luck or make a choice that will lighten our hearts. When we look for the gift within our circumstances, more often than not, we find it.
Toni O.