I love seasons. I need to live in a place with seasons. I'm always ready for them... for the changes both externally and internally that they bring. Spring is kind of a tough one here in the Pacific Northwest, though. We are more than ready for warmer, sunnier days by the time March rolls around... and we do get some "teasers" in there... but mostly, the grey and rainy days persist, sometimes well into June. So it always kind of comes up on me unawares... the official day of spring equinox. It was actually Facebook that alerted me with "Happy first day of spring, Lauri!" But, thinking about it now, I did feel it. Even before I realized it was spring, I felt a subtle shift... an openness to and awareness of new life. Inside and out. A sense of freshness... of breathing cleaner air, literally and metaphorically.

On the day before the official equinox, as I was traveling up to the Seattle area to perform the next morning, I was alerted that the musical director/pianist had taken ill and might not be able to play... or that we would possibly need to adjust some things from what was planned. I wasn't too worried, as Eric was making the trip with me and I knew he could jump in and accompany on most of the songs if need be. But it still threw me off a bit, this being the first time at this particular center. We would just need to sort of wait and see how things looked in the morning.

What this news did was actually give me an opportunity to trust... to go with the flow... to let go of any expectation and be open to something new. As it turned out, the pianist was able to play most of what he'd planned to, though he was pretty sick and we only had a short time that morning to rehearse. But because we allowed divine inspiration to take over (well... that in addition to our collective experience and professionalism, of course) we not only pulled it off, but there was something truly unique and beautiful that bloomed amidst the circumstance.  Just like nature in springtime. :-) There's a quote by Sandra Kring that I just love: "The tiny seed knew that in order to grow, it needed to be dropped in dirt, covered in darkness, and struggle to reach the light."

But OH... do I have my days. Just yesterday as I headed out for my daily walk, it started to rain. Really rain. Dark sky, cold, determined rain. UGH. Dammit! Isn't this supposed to be spring??? I allowed myself to just resolve to the gloom and grumpily trudged along. And then... just when I was least expecting it... the rain stopped and there was light! Not exactly sunny... but there was a sudden, surprising burst of light and the rain subsided. I felt my whole disposition shift, pulled off my hood, and just took it all in. Yes. This is what I'm talking about! At any moment, some large or small miracle can spring upon us (pun fully intended). But we have to be open to it... and to acknowledge and appreciate it. That's the key.

So here's another one. Earlier this week, as I started my "usual day", Eric surprised me by suggesting a spontaneous, last minute overnight getaway to soak in mineral tubs and take in new sights. Just like that, our weekly routine got a little lift... a spark of magic... a change in perspective. And just one day of that opens the pathway to see new life everywhere... every day. 

Spring is indeed about new life... coming out of the darkness.  Being open to possibilities beyond the status quo. Inspired spontaneity.  It is a time to challenge what has been. Even the stuff that has been working just fine... our "functional routines", so to speak. What about sparkle and shininess?  I am a big advocate of  embracing what is in terms of acceptance and authenticity, but not to the extreme that we close ourselves off to miracles and magic. We need to be open to seeing a flower bloom where we didn't even know a seed had been planted. To be shown something completely new and unexpected.

I do love spring, even with all the rain. ;-) New dawn... new day... new life.  It's possible in every moment. Just be open to it! And when it shows itself to you, really SEE it. And give it a big hug. OK? :-)

This past weekend I ventured into a new spiritual community to share my music... my voice... my heart. That is always the big picture intention. To share, inspire, and shine a light. In the process of doing that, there are technical and logistical things that need to happen, like rehearsing with a new band and acclimating to a new space, etc. I will admit, it can sometimes be a challenge to stay focused on the intention without getting distracted by how smoothly these things are going from my perspective. And that is the key word... my perspective. I am sometimes just too close to see what others see. I judge too harshly or somehow get fixated on details. So thank God for the people who come up after the service and engage with me! Yes! :-) I have to say, I've come to the realization that it's really not enough to just "do my thing". My thing is your thing, really... and I believe that's how it should be. It is when people come up and share what they felt or observed... or even just take an interest... that reminds me what the heck I'm doing and where I stand with my intentions... where I'm succeeding and where I might need to grow. What kind of impact, large or small, I am making. We all need that from each other, don't we? To really see each other and actually verbalize what we are seeing and experiencing in each other? Yes... I believe so!  And on that note... thank you, little Riley, for the very sweet hand-drawn customized picture (worth a thousand words, as they say).  Have I mentioned I love my job?  :-)