A good friend of mine who is an artist and says she never writes, sent this to me.  I think she should write more.  Don’t you? Thank you, Ellen!

It’s Time

During the dark months of winter, plants and flowers keep busy monitoring the skies for signs of spring.  Only when the days are long enough do they send out word: It’s time!!

They begin to shrug off sleep, slowly rise, stems strong, heads held high and, looking up, they search out the guiding light above in preparation for their journey through the coming seasons.

Just as their petals unfurl and they celebrate and welcome all new life… it hits.  When they least expect it unwelcome frozen crystals arrive and invade their personal space.  They settle all around without asking permission.  It bites hard and cruel. It brings all of nature’s fragile life to its knees…yellow, rose, green, violet – it doesn’t discriminate.

Their stems bend, their yellow and rose bells hang in despair, while others seemingly bow in prayer pleading for help, waiting for the assault to pass.  Many tears fall as they lean frozen in place.  The sight of this abrupt interruption to their annual journey is shocking, their posture sad, their presence seemingly weakened.

But… No! A small voice whispers: “Do Not Be Afraid.  Upon you no evil shall fall, no plague approach where you dwell. For you has he commanded his angels to keep you in all your ways”.  They understand that deep in their soul is the miracle to come back.  They know a bigger truth.  They are compelled to push through weakness and confrontation of any sort.

As they hunker down in stillness and silence the rumour that circulates is that this hovering dark cloud is Frost.  They heard it was coming but even the old wise timber couldn’t prevent the bullying.  The insulating foliage blanket was not warm enough. The returning Canada Goose call not loud enough.  Every line of defence was insufficient.

And so, they wait in family clusters for what seems a very long time but as the day warms and the sun soothes they dig deep to recover the will to right their frames.  Slowly but surely they lift their chin in thanks and praise knowing that they alone cannot endure but rather the power surrounding them urges them on.  As they face day after unpredictable day they hold each other up, dearly and tenderly, sprouts and seasoned shoots, and remind each other that they are not alone, that they can persevere and weather storms, that they can adapt to new climate and blossom with all their divine might.  Now is the time!

–Ellen Erenberg
Honoured Mountain Studio