A Taste of Spring!

    Gracious, what a wonderful weekend we've been given. It has been a delight to get a Taste of Spring! Kids were walking around the neighborhood, bicyclers, Harley riders, and golf carts tooled around the small community around me. And, I could swear the grass is greener! For those that have large lawns to mow, I'm certain they were in their garages tuning up their lawnmowers. With all the sunshine I noticed all the fuzz bunnies that were hidden during the cloudy winter months. Spring cleaning offers me the opportunity to really notice everything in my home. It also provides an opportunity to really appreciate the things I often overlook that add warmth to my home and to my heart.  As I type this, I hear my neighbor and his "band" warming up for the spring and summer seasons. It is always a sure sign of warmth when they begin serenading the neighborhood. 
    As we begin another walk around the Medicine Wheel called Life, consider spending a bit of time reflecting on what, you personally, would love to do this next round. We plant in the spring, tend the weeds, then in the summer begin to enjoy the growth in front of us. If we live in a neighborhood, I'm certain this time of year offers everyone the opportunity to observe the growth of the children that came during the winter months. Goodness gracious, they do grow like weeds. 
     By mid-summer, the weeds will be visible and beckon our attention. Whether the "weeds" are in our gardens, or in our neighborhood, it is a time-lapse we can witness in real time. Let's decide this spring and summer to really pay attention to our surroundings. What bushes and trees seem to have multiplied in size? What elder is now riding in a golf cart to keep track of their neighbors; to stay connected to those that have become an "extended family" of sorts? 
     As we notice those in our immediate surroundings, it might time to really "see" them, to appreciate where they are in their life. Whether they are young children, teenagers, adults, or elders, everyone wants to feel part of something "bigger" outside their homes. In light of what we are witnessing in Ukraine, perhaps it is time to pause and count the blessings we have living in our neighborhoods, and our country.  The "Taste of Spring" offers us the opportunity to look outside ourselves and our homes and notice the richness of our lives.  Consider: What riches lie in your life, and in your neighborhood?