Winter will pass, the days will lengthen, the ice will melt in the pasture pond. The song sparrow will return and sing, the frogs will awake, the warm wind will blow again. All these sights and sounds will be yours to enjoy Wilbur—this lovely world, these precious days…

Charlotte the spider speaking to Wilbur the pig, from Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

there are literal rebirths happening as we watch perennial plants poke above the ground, (the affirmation a bloomed tulip brings!) and trees and shrub buds start to unfurl. We, humans, echo nature and also celebrate rebirth and life in the spring. From fertility and rebirth symbols such as bunnies and eggs to faith traditions understanding Easter as a time of resurrection, it is a hopeful time for many. (And excited children clasping bright baskets and searching for chocolate treats makes it easy to smile.)

Towards Change

Maybe we can remember a time in childhood when we laughed and ran towards something we wanted. Maybe, we need to change something, add something, or find our way back to what delivers laughter or joy. What do we need to do better, be better, this spring? Perhaps the change we need is to just stop. Rest awhile–just sit and watch the hopping robins, listen to the geese and their noisy return. Or it may be time to take some baby steps towards change and growth. Like that faltering newborn foal, we can make mistakes. We do not have to know where we will land. All we have to do is start, somehow, somewhere and keep moving. This venturing without knowing can be called courage or faith, or both.

Towards Growth

You may, after reflection, have decided not to change anything at all this Easter, this spring season. Then celebrate. One view is that the word Easter comes from the goddess Eostre, the pagan fertility goddess of humans and crops, and who was celebrated at the beginning of spring since ancient times. What will you celebrate in yourself this spring?