March proves transient, especially where the weather is concerned. “In like a lion; out like a lamb,” the voices of old recite, and yet neither they nor we are so naive as to assume any sort of linearity. This may be March’s curse — and gift — this erratic and unpredictable nature to its weather.
When we do receive the boon of such glorious spring-like days (such as we have of late), we know better than to expect its goodness will remain with us. We know the sunshine and its warmth are transient realities — veritable wild things — that we could not hold onto if we tried. Somehow, we accept this of March, even though we reject it in every other avenue of our lives.
Might there be something about March that could teach us how to embrace and celebrate the un-enduring moments of goodness that are common to our everyday lives?
Often, we can be so reluctant to embrace and celebrate those moments of goodness that we fear may not last. I have often wondered at myself about this. Am I afraid I will appear foolish if the news turns “bad”? Do I believe deep down that good is only good if it proves permanent? How long does a change have to remain in place before I feel it is “safe” to celebrate it? And what does it mean that I even think of all this in terms of “safety”?
We seem to have no such complications with March. After the cold and bitterness of winter, we intuitively seem to know how to celebrate a fleeting warm day — a day somehow made even more sweet by its ethereal nature, and not less. We relish its warmth precisely because it will not last.
And I cannot but imagine how sweet life could be if we learned to transfer this wisdom to the rest of our lives.
Remember, we’re all in this together.
Pastor Michael
Solvitur ambulando