The beginning signs of spring have a wonderfully predictable ability to lift the spirit. It doesn’t matter how dark and desolate my mood is—if a cheerful, graceful mother deer with two fumbling, dancing fawns happen to cross my path, there is an inevitable feeling of grace and wonderment at the beauty that still exists everywhere, as we are feeling our way out and around the world again.
What shows up first are spring flowers, the crocuses looking like tiny purple and yellow easter eggs, pushing their way through the grass. Soon we will be hearing the sounds of baby animals and will have to be careful driving though the Lansdowne area, as baby deer are going to emerge and take their first steps. It’s a good thing they’re cute, as they are known to gobble up pretty much anything gardeners have been planting, and have caused many angry phone calls to local MLAs.
Spring’s a time when our brains have their chance to wake up and unravel from the deep fog they have been in. It’s been a gruelling last couple of years, and to say that our mental and physical health is strained is as big an understatement as is possible. The news on social media is confusing: is the worst of this nightmare really over? Or is that just a tactic to silence us so we don’t join the massive protest in Ottawa?
I think, on the whole, that the worst really might be behind us, that the warmth and the spring colours are a force of nature that might be able to able to beat the last two years into an actual memory. If this is the case, then the hope is that the governments and extremists can finally start listening to each other rather than fighting to the bitter end.
Until then, happy springtime, almost.