Can this be Spring ?

There was a mild, theoretical discussion wandering through our family in recent weeks regarding whether the Winter Aconite or the Snowdrops come up first each year. I clearly remember my grandmother Irene saying that the Winter Aconite are the first plant at near-end of winter, but others are members of the Snowdrop Party. (Both the Aconite and Snowdrops in our garden come from plants taken from Irene's garden.)
It's too late to answer the question this year. Despite the nasty weather we have been having -- rain shouldn't be this cold, and snow shouldn't be this warm -- I came out of the house Thursday to go to work, and saw first the Snowdrops and then the Aconite all in bloom. You can see that both were closed up tight, huddled against the dark clouds and near-freezing rain. Still, they were both in bloom. Some part of nature thinks Spring is just about here!

I was struck by the power of momentum that carries life forward (or around, depending whether you are thinking of the linear or circular nature of things). Despite our unpleasant dank weather, the plants are ready to declare the arrival of the next season. Unless something is terribly wrong, we get up each morning in a similar way, despite the dark weather that sometimes invades our lives. We are in the habit of continuing to live, of moving forward, despite adversity.

It's something I was first struck by when my grandfather Larry was dying. He had cancer, at a time before hospice was available. While he could still speak, he said that it was time for him to die, that he would not eat any more, that he was finished. He was a man of great determination. But he didn't die then, not for a few weeks. Even when it seemed he was done, when he was barely breathing, he still lived a couple more days. I have seen the pattern repeated with my mother and others. There is a remarkable drive for life in us, as in all of nature.

I would rather see the snowdrops and winter aconite on a warm day, lifting their flowers to the sun. But I am happy to see them under any circumstances. On my tired days, when I drag my self out of bed, I bet I don't look as good as they do in the cold rain!