The mere thoughts and memories of spring lure a smile to my face and summon a softness to my limbs. Crisp, vibrant, begging to be celebrated. The world grows brighter as we shake the slumber and heaviness of long cold nights. And how better to rejoice than thru renewed commitment to life, lightness and hope? As the year marches on, I feel it welling up inside, stretching at my seams and seeking release. I’m ready to fill my lungs with blue sky and bathe my eyelids in warm sunshine, to saturate these senses with new scents. Spring is what bursts through the surface after manifesting under winter’s cover for so long.

But nowadays the potency of fresh starts can be easy to overlook. These climate controlled lives are more cushioned from weather, food, and other concerns, making it that much easier for vital ties with the earth to slip away. The mystery, growth and change this world hinges upon have come to be vaguely familiar props we navigate around. That’s where the magic lies, in the too common wonders we walk by

I know zingy, jam packed schedules are quickly becoming the norm, but even the busiest of busykins is still likely to take notice as the world rises out from the depths of winter to taste a bit of spring newness. And these seasonal shifts aren’t meant to stop at the door; nature reaching out all over is our cue to do the same. Let sprout those grand plans thought up through cold, dark nights. Spontaneous, unencumbered actions are what this time calls for. Spring is that magic pixie dust dishing up the inner mettle for us to be free if we try. It’s somehow easier to slip past previously trounced feelings, a jolted ego or shunned ideas. And it needn’t be only a seasonal thing, far off at the wrong times. Each morning is another chance to reaffirm what we’re about. That’s what spring is, it’s affirmations. I never cease to be amazed at the amount of delight that can be had w/ a few extra minutes to suck in the morning air and eavesdrop on life waking up. This time to stretch and coat my innards w/ a hot gourd of tea provides an extra dab of immunity and agility for anything the day may deliver.

Look forward to seeing you down the river.

Trathen Heckman    

(Trathen Heckman is an eco poet, author, snowboarder, and permaculture expert, as well as the executive director for both Daily Acts and Green Sangha. Join him for “Personal Ecology and Principles of Permaculture”, a floating exercise in intentional community on the Colorado River in spectacular Cataract Canyon. Takes place June 14-21, 2009. For details, visit us online at www.wild-outdoors.org.)