I read Anne Lamott’s latest book Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers during a stretch of gorgeous March weather. The days here in Anchorage were getting longer, the sky was blue and the sun was shining. One afternoon Ethan and I even squeezed fresh lemonade and set it outside to chill. There were still a couple feet of snow on the ground, but that didn’t stop me from exclaiming with Lamott: “When all is said and done, spring is the main reason for Wow. Spring is crazy, being all hope and beauty and glory. She is the resurrection.”
We had just come through our first Alaskan winter. I’d filed the 10am sunrises deep in my memory and we were riding Maximum Slope on the way to Spring! Oh! So quickly we got knocked off the rails.
As it turned out, the snow was far from finished. The cold temperatures lingered. While my Facebook feed cluttered with glorious words and images of Spring down in Oregon, this was the best I could do:
We flew to Oregon at the end of April leaving piles of snow and ice at home. When we returned two weeks later we were delighted with the transformation! Roads and sidewalks were clear and dry. Leftover patches of snow have continued to melt into the increasingly long, warm days. But even still, the sky has been largely overcast and our landscape remains weathered and bare. Brown is the dominant color.
Last weekend a daffodil pair appeared outside our front door. There is not another spot of color anywhere in sight, yet they stand brave and tall against the difficult background. All beauty and glory and Hope!
And then today it snowed. This is now the longest snow season on record in Anchorage: 231 days since the first snow fell on September 29, 2012. But Oh! Crazy Spring!! I still watch and wait for you.
Tonight I went out and took of a picture of the bright daffodil pair. They stand together. I think that’s not a mistake. They stand tall in spite of the falling temperatures and sticking snow. Together they bear witness and how boldly they shout: Faith is Confidence in things hoped for….Evidence of things not seen. Spring! She is the resurrection.
