Lessons From A Daffodil

Mother Nature likes to play in March. One day it’s glorious and spring-like, doors and windows flung wide and open; the next it snows.

And what of the daffodils?

Fooled by the weather, some full-grown and giddy, their golden cups reach proudly for the sky. Then winter presses down again; they droop and sag, and you feel sorry for them – yet, in the same breath, admiration. They’ve done this drill before. They’ve got looks, delicacy and toughness all wrapped up. We could learn a lesson or two from the daffodil.

Maybe it would be to rest in winter, allowing our roots to replenish.  And after the cold weary days have dragged on and on, be the first to send out hope, defiantly and boldly sprouting up in February’s first light.

And maybe then, ignoring suggestions like “it’s too soon, nobody else is growing yet”, or “don’t you know something bad could happen?”, or “ah, such a dreamer” – we stand by our conviction. We encourage others. We grow taller. We bask with confidence.

And when the inevitable happens (but is it inevitable? they say it is, so it must be) – when the inevitable bad thing showers down upon us ~ we cover our heads, huddle together, look inward and brave it out, the strength from our nourished roots holding us tight. Knowing this will pass. Knowing we’ll stand again, straight and tall. Knowing, that bending in the breeze and holding steady, we can bloom just as brightly after a storm.

Lifting hearts to hope and renewal. Resilience and determination. A bright disposition. If we could learn these simple things, perhaps that’s good enough.

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Time Out: Signs of Spring!

Dear Clients, I’m planning to take the rest of the afternoon off. I hope you don’t mind ~ in fact, I think you should too, and here’s why:

My God, what a gorgeous day! The windows are flung open wide, the sun shines, the air is warm and breezy. Birds chatter, daffodils open, kids walk home from school, sweatshirts abandoned.

Spring is everything delicious. Everything new and reborn. Really it is  ~ because it’s not as though we’ve never seen a daffodil before, but when they bloom each spring there’s a thrill of delight as if it were the first. And when we spot a robin, as if it were a strange and unusual creature, we shout like children, “look – a robin!”.

Our heart feels lighter, our hope expands. A beautiful day like this reminds us that life always chooses to look up, to grow towards the light and surprise us with a million ways to shine, no matter what.

And all that warrants some time out ~ enjoying this early gift from the fickle month of March, for the winds could change tomorrow!

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