The Light of March

I woke up this morning with a song of happiness in my heart, grateful again for the glorious sunshiny days of early March and the quality of the light piercing through the leafless trees. Indeed, during the last two weeks, as February transitioned into March, and New York State enjoyed the refreshing weather of a false spring, the outdoor world has been beckoning hard.

Last week, I spent a lot of time walking through Riverside Park on the upper West Side of Manhattan; the park presented a cornucopia of blossoming Lenten roses in an array of color from very light green to white to dusky rose. Looking skywards there was bright yellow witch hazels in bloom and one light pink flowering tree I could not identify. Back in North Salem this week, where we generally follow the New York City blossoming schedule by a week or two, the grass is greening up and there are clusters of snowdrops and early croci dotting the terrace lawn.

An air of burgeoning expectation is everywhere, with spring yearning to break the bonds of winter. After the last several long, cold winters, this respite is a relief; though the reality is that we may yet be treated to some chilly dips into winter weather, some hard freezes or snowstorms, as March transitions further towards spring. Or even, following the template of the last few years, weeks of cold, gray, windy and unwelcoming weather in late March and April. Once there is more light in the sky, and body and soul are attuned to the coming warmth, temperatures that would have seemed practically temperate in mid-January feel much harder to bear as winter gives way towards spring.