Songs of Comfort

"But even in the darkest situations the human spirit flutters, sings, and sometimes soars. Something is us keeps us focused on a brighter day and a better situation." Thomas Moore, A Life at Work

I heard the unmistakable sound of tree frogs, aptly called 'spring peepers' last night. As I drifted off, I realized that the woods were full of their high musical notes. When they burst into their mating calls it is a sure sign spring is here to stay. In a few more weeks, their evening serenade will be joined by the bell tones of crickets, then lightning bugs flashing to their own rhythm and by the end of June with the sawing sound of the cicadas who round out the woodland chorus. Already the window pane by my desk lamp is the courting ground for moths flocking to the light. Each new addition arrives on some mysterious schedule dependent on an exquisite balance of temperature, daylight and moisture. In the night time sky the moon is waxing steadily towards fullness. It is still a few more days until it is complete, but already it is rising up out of the lake late in the afternoon and spilling its light across the water.

A change of season seems especially welcome this year. In these complex times it can be difficult to believe things can or will improve but then spring arrives and we see all around us that it can. The return of the peepers and the timing of the seasons can be a source of encouragement. Spring raises our hopes, as it awakens the world for another go at mating, building nests, feeding and raising young and seeing them fledged. Are we not much different? We have fancier gear, but we are still doing the same thing ourselves. When the peepers start their chorus, perhaps it is also meant to soothe our troubled hearts and worried minds. Perhaps they are reminding us that everyday living, even when we have very little, still has possibility and blessings. It is important to realize life is full of hardships but it is easy to be weighted down by that view and forget that when it is destructive, it is still creative. Winter is washed out by the rains of spring, summer's bounty provides for fall and winter arrives when we need to rest. There is a richness and beauty to life that cannot be erased. When our nests fail and we are in despair over our lives, that richness and beauty endures and our lives are bound up with it. Maybe tonight, you can step outside your door and be comforted.