Spring is sprung

Photo by Aaron Burdon on Unsplash

See! The winter is past;

    the rains are over and gone.

 Flowers appear on the earth;
    the season of singing has come.

(Song of Solomon 2:11-13)

Spring is just around the corner. Depending on who you ask, the first day of spring falls either on the first or the twenty-first of March. Looking around at the flowering of the spring bulbs, this year the earlier date seems the best guess.

As the late winter snow has melted away, woodlands and gardens are showing signs of new life. Snowdrops and crocuses (or is it crocii?) are in bloom. Daffodils are in bud. Spring is on the way, bringing with it the hope of new beginnings. 

The first signs of spring this year are accompanied by a mood of cautious optimism. With the worst of the most recent wave of COVID-19 infections receding, there is now a 'roadmap' on the road to recovery. Like the spring buds, the hope that is beginning to flower is fragile. So much depends on the course of nature and the prevailing climate. 

The winter may have passed. The season of singing has yet to come.