They sleep

 They sleep.

Dormant beneath the cold ground, beneath the snow and ice, the hardy crocus sleep, awaiting the first signs of spring: the sunlight's increasing duration, the softening of the maple's skin, the increasing temperatures, the melting, the run-off, the smells of decomposed grass and leaves. 

The crocus bulbs wait beneath the earth, held in suspended animation until the first signs of life return to the land. In PEI, these come in April, no matter what the calendar says is the first day of spring. In warmer climates, they arrive in February. Here, winter is long and it can be harsh. However, these little cloves of crocus are not destroyed.

They are one of the harbingers of hope that warmer times will return. Others are the return of the female mourning doves, which sends the males into bursts of billing and cooing. And the last - the very last - is the appearance of the robins on OUR lawn, the last to get these rare beasts because the neighbourhood (outdoor) cats use our garden as a litterbox. 

 

Picture free from annca at pixabay
I found myself thinking about the crocus today, because right now, there are a lot of hidden things going on in my life, one of which is my waiting for word from the folks who tested my counselling competencies on October 27; they said six to eight weeks. It just hit the five-week mark this past Thursday, so I'm getting a little antsy. I guess that's the main reason why I remembered the crocus. 

Nothing I can do will make those results arrive faster; they will be here when they get here. As one who has always hated waiting, I need to work on my acceptance of the "things I cannot change" and move forward with each passing day, doing "the things I can change". (Gotta love those 12 steps!)

It works for everything in my life: for example, hubby has COVID-19 so he's isolating; I'm sick but testing negative so I'm isolating in a separate space just in case it's NOT COVID-19. I'm relying on my daughter to get me food and supplies I need to look after the pup, who is also downstairs in her enclosure, and occupying my attention. I have my computer, my phone, Kleenex, a mask for the occasional trip to the bathroom, lots of snacks and water, a night light, the thermostat, and the beauty of an electric fireplace. All the rest is out of my control. I'm rescheduling clients via email; I'm looking after me and letting others look after me ... and just now hubby called me from our bedroom (upstairs and the other end of the house) so we could talk and not feel so isolated, like the crocus must feel in the winter (if they have feelings...who knows?)

And I did get a little good news this week before all the drama happened: the elevator in my office building has been repaired!! This news is good for those of my clients with mobility issues. So far we've managed with video sessions, but I'm glad that period is coming to a close.

On that positive note, I will close this post. Hopefully things will be all resolved (on all fronts) by Christmas. Happy Holy Days!

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