Finding Joy in March

The first notes of spring are in the air! We've had a few glorious warm days here in Georgia recently. Spending time outside has been easy after such a cold winter season. Nature is waking up and reminding us how resilient God's creation is. The season of rest comes to a close, and it's time to bloom again.

When I think of March, the first thing that appears in my mind is tulip trees. In March 2003, we lost my Pop to lung cancer. His birthday was the same month. Someone gave my parents a tulip tree to plant to remind us of him. At every house we've lived in since, my dad has planted a tulip tree. When I see them bloom, I remember Pop. What a sweet reminder of someone I loved so much!

We didn't have a lot of blooming trees and bulbs near the home I grew up in. It wasn't until college that I was able to fall in love with the daffodils and cherry blossom trees. The older I got, the more I seemed to be surrounded by flowers. Maybe I just never paid attention before. My parents moved in 2020 to a home in an older neighborhood with an established and elaborate garden. Spring of 2021 was filled with more daffodils, hellebores, bluebells, azaleas, and blossoming trees than I had ever seen. It felt like magic. I began to pay attention to the beauty God created for us in the spring like never before. Over the past year, I've become more hands on and developed an even deeper appreciation.

Now I look forward to spring's beauty and have been intentional about planting bulbs and flowers for every season at Jack and my home. I love studying the flowers and drawing them. They inspire me to create arrangements that reflect nature's performance in each season. March is full of excitement for the warmer months ahead with longer days and more color. March reminds us that God intended for us to have seasons of rest in order for us to blossom and grow at the right time. New life begins. A fresh start we all need.