Yesterday we had a mini-ice storm and everyone had their dose of reality that winter does indeed contain cold and miserable weather from time to time. Our little state of Delaware has had an unusually pathetic winter thus far, especially since the MidWest has been clobbered! It was fun sliding home in the slow crawling traffic, sipping tea while the ice hit my windows and playing "do you want to go outside or stay in?" with the cat. You remember Apryl, of course, and her tendancy to drive me nuts.
As I sat and thought of the upcoming Spring weather, I wondered if we would see any Snowdrops?!If you don't have snow , you may not have Snowdrops peeking out of the piles of snow, reminding you Spring is on the way. Then I thought, well if we don't have winter any worse than this, will we even appreciate Spring? From there my mind went totally crazy and I realized there are alot of things that appear to be dark negatives when in acuality they are not at all as they appear....thus began my list:
*Without the nasty rainstorms I have never seen a rainbow..
*Just as snowdrops are an indicator of Spring, what about those vividly colored Fall leaves harboring a potentially frigid winter? and has any botanist correlated the intensity of vivid colors in the Autumn with the lack of harsh weather in the Winter?? Am I the only one who thinks of these things? Is this a sign of the level of excitement my life contains?
*How does the sea spit out beautiful seashells on the shore? Well, after a storm has roughed up the waves is when we beachcombers discover them!
*The cocoon certainly is ugly and dry looking and not something we would analyze on a walk through the woods, unless we knew , of course, that inside contained a beautiful butterfly ready to emerge and fly away to freedom soon.
*Those sharp,nasty thorns on a bush in my garden are sure signs that in the near months I will experience lovely pink roses, bright and plentiful as promised on the tag that accompanied my bush when I planted it.
* I tried to decide if in my list of metaphors with ugly/beautiful I could fit a bandaid and a cut, but somehow it just wasn't working...unless I think that without the ugly cut I can't use that new fancy bandaid I bought for when the grandkids come and get hurt while visiting...they are such cute animals.
My mind is particularly active as Valentine's Day approaches, I admit. What does my list, starting with Snowdrops and ending with bandaids, have to do with the Day of Love as hailed by Valentine's Day in America?
I had an ugly nasty thing happen in my world approximately 7 years ago. It was unexpected and unwanted and I fought it tooth and nail.(now where does that saying come from, for crying out loud?) Some might think that people who have such events occur in their lives would hate Valentine's Day! People can be wrong. I LOVE VALENTINE'S DAY!! I love that mere man does not define LOVE, I love that God defines love. I love showing people I love them, remembering that my world is full of myriads of differing friends and family members who are individually and corporately the reason I love life!
The other day I arrived home to discover a package on my doorstep. It was from a beautiful, young friend who lives across the country. She sent me not only a card for this silly, delightful holiday of American tradition, but she sent me a single plate and bowl all decorated with the words sweetie pie on it! How cool is that? I immediately wanted to shout to the world- "I am loved , just me, all alone, by a friend far away!" Furthermore, she sent me ONE plate and bowl and that was so perfect.To me it indicated that there was a person who was celebrating me, alone and single, total acceptance.
Well, my box is ready and waiting. What box? Oh, my Valentine's Box. It sits by my door just in case someone sends me a Valentine and I put it in the box to open Valentine's Day. I used to help the children make Valentine boxes every single year, we never opened the cards till the day,and we ate red-colored foods and gave sweet little love presents.
There was something ugly in my life, but the beautiful is emerging,God makes sure of that.
I think I will go make red jello and decorate cupcakes. I might see some of my 10 grandchildren tomorrow, and I certainly need to be ready if they pop over!
I LOVE Valentine's Day!!
1 comment:
I make my own "snowdrops". When the ground is white, all the little yellow specks really brighten it up.
I doubt the families of the Edmund Fitzgerald crew members share your penchant for storms. Please save a cupcake for me. I have my own milk waiting for the cupcake. Oh, and I love you, too. Even if you don't send me a cupcake.
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