“The only thing that could spoil a day was people. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as spring itself.” – Ernest Hemingway
Though April showers may come your way
They bring the flowers that bloom in May
So if it’s raining have no regrets
Because it isn’t raining rain you know, it’s raining violets…
The words from an old song always make me smile, as I hum them in the early spring days, April is the cruelest month, is it not? We look for sun bonnets, and picnic blankets, yet not so quick. Look in your hall or coat closet, what do you see? Snow jackets hanging next to lightweight spring jackets. Scarfs and gloves still at the ready and boot on the shoe shelf. Of course those light weight fleece jackets add to the collection. Not quite time to pack them away, because April is fickle, one day lovely and fair, the next plunging damp cold whips across our faces.
Spring is also a signal that the long dormant time of winter is over. Life that went deep, waiting through the ice and cold is ready, set free by the warmth of the sun and rain to quench the dry earth. As the days lengthen, the light gives nature the signal, time to bud, bloom and leaf out. Light, Heat and water, the three important ingredients that trigger growth.
Light, heat and water apply to humans. Light allows us to see more, look deeper and, illuminates ideas that engage forward thinking innovations allowing people to pursue possibilities beyond the shadows. Heat ignites our passion, driving us forward when the going gets tough and we want to quit. Heat also brings clarity to our vision, it fuels and fortifies our desire to reach the impossible. Water eases us through the heat, cooling our flames into usable embers and satisfying our thirst for success.
Up to 60% of the human adult body is water. According to H.H. Mitchell, Journal of Biological Chemistry 158, the brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. The skin contains 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79%, and even the bones are watery: 31%. We cannot exist without water and without heat and light, we cannot grow anything, even ourselves.
As we greet April, how will light, heat and water grow the seeds you’ve been planting since January? How will you take a deep breath and enjoy the shifting season? Toss off the layers of winter and embrace the ways you will cultivate your development.