A friend on Tribe reminded me of how wonderful Spring is and thought I'd repeat what I said:

"When I read your message, all I could think of was the message imprinted on a plate I had for
my eldest daughter when she was little: "Take time to smell the flowers".

We need to step away from our frustrations, anger, loneliness, and overwork and be amazed at our natural surroundings ~
the butterflies flitting about from flower to flower, the hummingbirds taking nourishment from our feeders, the bees doing
what they do best - providing for their hive. I love spring with it's renewal of life ~ flowers
budding or blooming, trees leafing out and birds returning to my feeders and entertaining us with
their song. Life is beautiful ~ you just need to take time to see and enjoy it. If you can’t see, then take in the wonderful aromas that accompany every spring or feel the breeze upon your face ~ the smell that accompanies a spring rain shower. If you close your eyes, your imagination can sometimes take you there."

And the sky (which he preferred watching):

Watching the movement in the sky! I love watching the formations of clouds in a sunny, blue sky day. (sometimes my grandchildren and I try to decide what a cloud looks like, for instance does it look like a bear or a dragon, etc). But also the violent formations of tornadic activity ~ although potentially deadly, the formations are amazing and remind us that mother earth cannot be tamed. How wonderful is that!

With all the turmoil in the world right now, I believe that taking our thoughts off those problems ~ even for a moment ~ and "Take time to smell the Flowers" would lift our spirits and remind us that there is still beauty in our surroundings and that there is always hope for a 'new beginning'.

BJ