I Love March

I love March. To be sure, it frequently does come in like a lion, and he roars from time to time during the following weeks. It sometimes snows. On the upside, snowdrops, crocuses and daffodils nod in the breeze and literally bring color into the still-wintry landscape.

I enjoy all of these flowers, but especially the snowdrops. Unafraid of snow cover, the green leaves forge a tunnel upward so that the blossoms can open. Simple, near the ground, unpretentious as they are, they are the very first brave heralds of spring.

Accompanying the modest show of the snowdrops are the gradually lengthening days. To suddenly realize that it is 6 p.m. and still light, to awaken at 6 a.m. and see streaks of pink in the east, is to know universal experiences that underlie our very existence on planet Earth.

It is not surprising, then, that it is the beginnings that mark the change of seasons that delight me most. The clematis will cover the balcony wall this summer and bear lovely purple bells, but right now I am thrilled with the rapid shooting up of the still-short stems and very first leaves. Late in the summer the leadwort will bear blossoms in my favorite blue; at the moment the plants are dry sticks with the tiniest red buds beginning to form. I check up daily on this red affirmation of fullness to come. In the pots of grape hyacinths stand lush, spring-green pointed leaves, while at their base begin to form the tiniest tight clusters of the “grapes”. The tulip leaves are much further along, but the buds are only just getting fatter and taller. The forgotten pot of crocuses on the shady back porch is not daunted, just slow to show green above the earth.

We are conditioned to find new life, whether plant or animal, appealing. Kittens and puppies, baby chicks and of course human babies all elicit joy and awe. From an evolutionary point of view, new life needs this appreciation so that it is cared for. For the human spirit, new life is a message of hope and renewal and confidence. In a world of war and catastrophe this message is not naive but rather an affirmation of meaning and trust in the continuity of the most basic life-giving processes of our world.