The Spring Outside

The Alleluias Came Back...

The cherry blossoms are well on their way at Centennial Park! A hint for the passersby is that the golf course parking lot is full on a cold, cloudy day—six degrees C.—no one out on the course—something must be up! Even still, the Cherry Tree blossoms are mesmerizing as they dance about in the gentle wind whispering, “Don’t take yourself too seriously…” (“It is” and “It isn’t”as bad as you all think—take your pick!”)

On that note I came across a few lines from Thomas Merton that resonated with me on this chilly spring morning:

The spring outside seemed much more sacred…I went to the lake and sat in silence looking at the green buds, the wind skimming the utterly silent surface of the water, a muskrat slowly paddling to the other side. Peace and meaning. Sweet spring air. One could breathe. The alleluias came back by themselves. (Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander)

In the County (during the spring) one can see glorious Trumpeter Swans slowly swimming in East Lake. They also “return their alleluias” with their subtle swift thrusts and a visage of graceful, spirited elan.