Signs of Spring

It all usually starts about Valentine's Day. I start looking for blossoms as I drive past the almond orchards on my way to school. This year, God's special Valentine came to me in the form of one perfect pinky/purplish blossom blinking its hello to me as I drove past the ornamental plum tree in my doctor's parking lot. The best Valentine's gift I ever got!


Next in line in the Spring parade are the lilacs. Their deep lavender color sends me right back to the backyard of my youth. I thought my dad was the most gifted gardener that ever lived. We had the prettiest yard in the neighborhood, and my mom often cut huge bouquets of gladiolas, calla lilies, roses, and snapdragons to put on the church altar. We had a huge lilac bush in the corner of the garden and I remember laying under that bush, staring up at the clouds through the clusters of fragrant blooms. I don't have any idea what I thought about during my youthful escapes, but the view of that dappled sunlight is so vivid I could swear I'm there now. My wonderful husband, Gary, has planted a lilac tree in the corner of our yard too. And for those of you who know him and have been to our house, you know he is one of the most gifted gardeners in the world! :-)




Before you know it, all my spring favorites are in bloom. There are daffodils of all sizes, clusters, and shades of yellow, cream, and orange. The iceland poppies wave hello to everyone who passes by. Their little round heads that bob in the wind right before they open remind me of some kind of party surprise. Before you know it, POP, the flower bursts forth with sunshiny shades of pinks, oranges, and yellows. Gary makes sure these happy flowers are in the front and the back so I can see them from everywhere.



Do I love Spring so much because the cold, gray dreariness of winter has left me longing for warmer, longer days? I think so. But I also know that these harbingers of Spring come just before my favorite holiday, Easter. Spring flowers symbolize what Easter is all about in my opinion. ..... the promise of New Life. This Spring, take time to notice the Signs of Spring, and enjoy them for the gifts that they are.