The spring here in Alaska is defined more by daylight than temperature, though the temperatures have been going up little by little. A step forward, two steps back, then another step forward. We’re getting there. 

But I don’t want to be so anxious for the summer that I miss what spring has in store. Anticipation - isn’t that half the fun? Winter walks in the daylight. Dark nights with hopes of catching a glimpse of the Northern Lights before the sun stubbornly refuses to set. Crisp air that wakes your nostrils up like smelling salts and cools and clears your head when you need it to. My dog bounding in the leftover snow, finding just the right snow hill to lie down on, paws crossed, proudly surveying his domain like a lion of the Serengeti. Snowmen and snowballs after a winter of dry, powdery stuff that’s no good for anything but skiing. Oh - and skiing! Post-hockey season, pre-slush skiing. Let’s do take advantage of that. 

Thank you, Lord, for spring. Not summer… spring. Thank you for today. Not tomorrow… today. Thank you for right where I am, right at this moment. What gifts do you hold for me here? What jewels that might otherwise be overlooked lie hidden in the melting snow and lengthening days and slush puddles in the street? Show me, Lord. Open my eyes to the beauty of right now.