Spring Awakening

I had to travel to the Upper East Side again today. I took my computer back to the repair shop and then went to a doctor’s appointment.

Without a phone or computer there is very little I can accomplish. I have already cleaned my apartment and done my cooking for the week. It's strange that in the height of an anxious situation (scrambling for employment), leisure has been forced upon me.

I had an errand to run on the other side of Central Park and the weather was fair, so I decided to take advantage of my free time and walk through the park.

This has been a cold winter in New York City. It snowed on the first day of spring. With the cold air and limited exposure to the outdoors, it is easy to forget that nature continues to follow its season cycle whether it seems like spring to New Yorkers.

Today was sunny, but still chilly. As I walked along the paths by Wollman Rink and the Hallett Nature Sanctuary, I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by signs of spring.

Large clumps of yellow, purple, and white crocuses created mats of color on the park floor. Forsythia bushes blazed like suspended yellow fireworks displays. The trees were dotted with subtle buds of chartreuse. Even a few early daffodils exposed their sunny faces.

As I exited, I heard a strange sound in a tree. After a moment of careful looking, I spied a brilliant blue jay on a shaded branch.

It had been an awful week of setbacks, yet these signs of spring reminded me that unpleasant things can change. Events may be different from what they appear to be. Forces of good are at work. There are reasons to be hopeful.