Welcome Spring! How grateful I am to say those words. I have never been a fan of winter, so I consider it a great accomplishment to make it to this glorious milestone each year.

The trees hint of the slightest signs of new life – tiny buds appearing on their bare, slender branches.

The robins have returned – happily engaged in their nest making frenzy, hopping about, their cheerful tune filling the air.

The grass is beginning to return to green – it will soon be a soft blanket, inviting bare feet to come out and play.

Here in Iowa, the rich, black soil is emerging from the snow that covered it for months. The ghostly remains of last year’s crops will soon be replaced by the fresh growth of a new season.

And new life abounds – babies are arriving daily on the farm. Sweet calves curl up in the spring sunshine warming themselves, as the proud mothers graze nearby.

This brings me great joy, each and every bit of it – the veil of winter is lifted and the world seems to have emerged as a symphony for the senses once again.

This was a particularly tough winter, brutally cold temps and so much snow, I thought it would never end. It was also a season of significant change for my family – we moved from our home of twelve years, my husband and I both began new jobs, the kids are in a new school, we are in a cozy rental home with most of our possessions still packed away in boxes. It has been a time to abide and dig deep.

Only in the past few days of sunshine, fresh air, vibrant blue skies and warmer temperatures, have I realized the heavy weight of winter. It wasn’t until it lifted, that I fully appreciated the enormity of it.

With gratitude, I welcome the spring. Each red-breasted robin is a reminder of the joys available each moment. I look forward to the beauty unfolding each day – as if a gift is slowly being unwrapped, layer by layer – revealing the glorious mystery that awaits.

I invite you to take a moment this first day of spring – pause, soak it all in – the possibility that is all around you. It’s in each new, emerging bud, each bird song, each blade of grass restored to its vibrant, green hue. Feel the joy and life awakening all around you.