A Good Way to Start Spring

The dozens of crocuses blooming on the east side of the garage tell me that spring is certainly here. Tonight they stayed open into the warm evening hours.

The weather is also affirming the change in seasons. Today we got our first thunderstorm of the year on the very first day of spring. I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate the start of this season of renewal and growth.

The thunderstorm rolled in just after dark, so Abbey and I turned off all the lights in the house, opened up the back door, and watched, smelled and listened. We stood witness to nature's annual trick of fixing a little nitrogen in the soil and talked about our eagerness for the new season to green things up.

The curiosity of a nearly three year old seems insatiable at times. "Why does it do that Daddy?" Try explaining spring warm fronts, rain, lightening, thunder and the re-emergence of the garden to a child of her age. Doing so made me, as an adult, wonder just how and why the magic of a spring thunderstorm is actually possible.

I'm thankful for the way in which little eyes can help older ones see things in new ways.