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The first day of April started like most days of the last two weeks of March. Morning meditation was followed by writing of morning pages by by cracking open the window of the upstairs bedroom to hear the birdsongs of spring and breathe in the breeze whistling through the fast-greening willow bushes. However, today, there were some additional sounds that I hadn’t heard in a while.
These were the sounds of the excitement of children laughing and giggling amid the raucousness of the geese on the lake. I could see neither groups, hidden as they were from my line of sight as I looked straight across the inlet that opens up onto the wider portion of the water. Where were all the kids, and what were they doing outside in what sounded like very large numbers on this brilliantly lit Saturday morning?
My questions were answered as I came downstairs and walked into the backyard with the dogs for their morning play. The hill across from my yard, just beyond the fast-greening willows, was filled with plastic eggs of different hues and colors. The laughter was coming from the kids who were all gathering with their parents for the annual egg-hunt on this Saturday before Easter. It is always a joy to see the anticipation of so many young kids getting excited about something so simple as the idea of collecting eggs filled with candy on a Saturday morning.
Why did such a simple community create such a sense of joy and renewal in my heart?
One reason for renewal was perhaps because the event was simple, it was outdoors, and it brought together the local community for a celebration that adults and kids were enjoying. The lines at the two ‘food trucks’ — one selling fancy hot chocolate and treats, the other offering gourmet pizza and snacks — spoke volumes about the renewal being offered to the body. The laughter of the kids as they traversed the hill for their eggs spoke about the renewal of the heart and raised the spirits of all those watching and participating.
Morning meditation filled with light, followed by writing of morning pages, watching a community event filled with kids over coffee with the family and the dogs — my heart was filled and renewed, and it wasn’t even 11am yet on the first day of April! What else was this season of spring going to hold in renewal for me? I can’t wait to find out.
How about you? How do you discern when it is time to set an intention for inner renewal? Have you found yourself seeking to renew particular areas in specific ‘seasons’ of your life? What seasons or events create a sense of spontaneous renewal for you?
Kumud
P.S. Join us for our weekly chat and community gathering in #SpiritChat on twitter, Sunday April 2 at 9am ET/ 1pm UTC / 630pm India. We will talk about the seasons, about renewal, and make some new friends. I will bring some questions, and look forward to your spontaneous answers. Namaste – @AjmaniK
A butterfly visits a hydrangea in bloom / and I wonder / who is renewing whom?