Searching for Spring

I have been searching all morning for a photograph that I took a decade ago, but to no avail.  It shows two images from an upstairs window:  one of a spring garden in full bloom and the other of a wintry snow-covered scene of the same garden.  The spring garden is displayed on my desktop computer and the wintry garden is the scene behind the computer, and I love seeing the contrast.  As you can see, I recently took a similar photograph of a winter scene, but I cannot find the spring one.  And that is exactly how I feel now.  Where is spring?  I miss it!

I miss the greenery and my garden full of colorful flowers:  yellow daffodils and the various shades of purple crocuses, irises, grape hyacinth, lavender, sage and chive blossoms.  I miss the large white and magenta blooms of the peonies.  I miss the days of longer light and warmer air, days that require yardwork and give me a clear sense of purpose to be outdoors.

At the same time, I miss the spring of my life – my youthful appearance, athleticism, and high energy.  I am grateful that I am still healthy, fit and energetic, but it is not the same.

I saw a wise comment by George Santayana: “To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.”  My goal is to see the beauty in all of the seasons, in the landscape and in my life.  Onward!