Spring has finally arrived…yet I hesitate to allow myself to fully embrace the potential reality of being enveloped by the warmth of the late afternoon sun on my walk just yet. My hat and gloves are still tucked deep in the pockets of my fleece jacket just in case.  I’m not quite ready to leave my ear muffs behind for fear of freezing my ear lobes off. My goal is to get back out there and walk regularly without the excuses that I carried for all 12 weeks of this past winter. I’m anxious to have my Fitbit hit that 4k step goal again… but who am I kidding. My fitbit hadn’t achieved that number for months since Old Man Winter claimed me for his prize to keep him company on the couch wrapped in a blanket. 

I thought I was being a bit too hesitant at first until I saw the emergence of the daffodils from beneath Mother Earth's crust…right on cue.

That got me thinking again, in a more realistic way, about trusting the elements to “know” just when the time was right to make that big push again to allow for the mixture of sunshine and blue sky to indicate that we were the only living things missing in the landscape to fulfill the Spring lineup. 

So what does it mean to”re-emerge”  for us again?

Oftentimes, it can mean… getting ready…for all sorts of things. 

Is this the year you’ll start that herb garden? Perhaps, you’ve always had a desire to plant a vegetable garden to barter your efforts with the neighbor who raises chickens down the road. 

These are the gifts that the early days of Spring beckons us to recognize.

We can sit by our windows that have shielded us from the frigid winter days and watch as the tiny buds sneak up on us overnight on the forsythia bushes. 

The daffodils are the true early crusaders that will wave a stem or two to get our attention as they magically appear over the course of one day to beckon us to come play again..outside.

Re-emerging speaks to our true nature and instinctive desire to  be a part of the outside world all around…I’d love to write a bit more, but I’m heading outside to plant some tulips before it’s too late. Join me.

Pat Larsen is a syndicated columnist who lives, works, plays and prayers right here in Greene and surrounding counties. Please feel free to give her a call to share your re-emergence story. She’d love to hear from you. 518-275-8686