Impatience versus anticipation

Mary Brodie
Posted 4/19/19

Waiting for spring.

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Impatience versus anticipation

Posted

Two feet of snow have disintegrated from

within, ice has answered my prayer by vaporizing,

and the cheerful robins have returned.

Yet, the date for the beginning of spring is on

last month’s calendar. How can that compute?

Impatience is epidemic to those tired of the

long, dark winter. I find myself in that hopeful

mob anticipating warm sunny days. Where are

they?

I dutifully took Arlinda’s instructive class

on gardening. Thankful I am that she provided

so many printouts regarding soil, insects, fertilizers,

sun, shade and watering. I would never

remember if I should like aphids or, maybe it

was bees. Having decided to turn the “driveway

to nowhere” on the west side of my place

into a garden area, I am impatient for spring as

I anticipate colorful blooms in place of stickery

weeds.

Winters are my hibernation times to quilt,

read, write and drink hot chocolate. My days

of skiing or snowmobiling were brief, at best,

and now nonexistent. I don’t mind crunchy

snow, but ice is my nemesis. Enough already.

It’s time for spring to step on stage.

My sons will be here to visit this weekend.

The Mom’s To Do list is lengthy. Besides replacing

light bulbs and waiting while I clean

the fixtures, I want my garden hoses dragged

out and connected, and my yard critters hauled

out of storage. John gave me metal/wicker

chairs with a matching table for the deck. I’m

sure that set would love to see the light of day.

Don’t forget the cushions. My daughter-in-law

and I will drink iced tea as we supervise. They

are all good to come and give me a hand – it

would be nice if spring made an appearance

also.

Fishing trips cannot be far off, but sunshine

would be appreciated. Mark took my pole to

Salt Lake City to get the ceramic leaders replaced.

How many folks wear those out? I must

remind him that time is now of the essence. I

plan to build my own worm farm this summer.

It’s maddening when I arise of a morning to

hear the rainbows calling, but my worm carton

contains only slimy bodies. I drowned enough

creepy crawlers, I should have my own supply.

Ask me in August how that venture turned out.

Besides my impatience about waiting for

spring to show up, there is my anticipation

for the Easter season. You know that today

is Good Friday. I often puzzled over the term

Good Friday. One of the most tragic things in

all history occurred that day: the crucifixion of

God’s only son. What was good about that?

The Heavens were angry, earthquakes occurred,

and the veil of the temple rent in two.

So, I checked to learn why it is called Good

Friday.

Some say it was originally God’s Friday,

considered a day of mourning. Just as in the

Old English saying, God be with ye, eventually

became Good Bye, so God’s Friday became

Good Friday. The good being that He

was sacrificed for all of us. I do hope you are

a believer.

When I was still at home, I truly anticipated

Easter week. My church youth group often

did the Easter Sunrise service out atop a cedar-

strewn hill, as well as before-school Holy

Week services. My Mom, bless her, was all

about new Easter outfits. Who was I to argue?

She made many of my sister’s and my outfits,

sometimes to match. Dad surprised us with

real corsages, even one for the 7-year-old. Easter

was and is such a special time.

Easter Sunday is eagerly anticipated all

over the world and celebrated in many ways.

In America it is a time of traveling to visit family,

attending church together and sharing family

dinner. The kids enjoy the egg part of the

celebration. Don’t ask me how that bunny got

involved. Someone once remarked that Easter

is that time of the year the rabbit comes out to

take credit for what the chickens worked at all

winter.

But, like spring, Easter is more than bunnies

and eggs and candy, fun though they are. The

correlation between the impatience for spring’s

arrival and anticipation for a new cycle of life

throughout creation with the Easter season

is not to be missed. God knew what He was

doing setting Easter in the spring.

For now, I am impatient for spring warmth,

a new garden area and fishing season. My anticipation

I’ll save for Easter.