Beginnings, gardening and writing

Ever held a tiny baby and watched them sleep? Think about it. Remember. Feel them in your arms. Watch them move, watch their sweet, little faces. I can close my eyes and remember when my kids were this age, then my nieces. I remember thinking growing that fast couldn't be comfortable. Like teething, you know? Bones lengthening, muscles developing at the same time can't feel good. Granted, most of that happens as we sleep. 

My youngest never slept well as an infant. Many nights I got to hold him and watch him. I knew, even then those times would be fleeting in the scheme of life, so Itreasured them, savored them, kept them close. I ran around in an exhausted fog, but I knew the time would come I'd get a full night's sleep and miss those moments alone with him in the middle of the night. 

This time of year, right now--the start of spring seems to be the same sort of time for the earth. I can now differentiate the weeds from the plants in those green shoots that appeared in my yard last month. The sun is pretty and clear, but it's still a little chilly in the mornings. You can see and feel the forces of life working so, so hard as first flowers appear. 

This is one of the roses from my backyard. The bush is probably my age. Each year, this big, old rose bush lies dormant through the winter until the earth breathes new life into it. 


Writing is much the same. Characters don't spring full fledged into my imagination; they take root and develop. Yet still, I am tempted to start something new and challenging. I am called to birth new people I've never met and settle into their lives for a while. The only difference is, this is what my rose bush calls a first draft. Mine are never that pretty.

Honor this time of year. Start something new. Make a scrapbook, crochet an afghan, compile a recipe book of all your favorites, plant something, start a new friendship, or a brand new book. This is the time. You can feel it in the air, see it in the new green and in the morning-white rays of the sun.