The Harbingers

A. reported the first sighting of snowdrops yesterday in the flower beds near the dining room door. I haven't seen them myself, since I rarely venture out the door anymore. But I am greatly heartened by their appearance as a signal that maybe, sometime, in the distant future, all this goddamn snow will abate and we might actually see some green again.

Can you tell this is a bad time of year for me?

One of the visitors who came to see Cubby* was reminiscing about when her daughter was born. Her daughter was born in March, and this woman's memories of that time are of sitting and nursing her daughter while she watched the buds form and open on a flower bush outside the window. What a lovely image. MY memories of this special time with a newborn Cubby? Snow. And more snow. It snowed literally every day his first week of life, and almost every day the week after. No wonder he had to go under the lights.

But no matter how much more snow we get, there are those snowdrops and the promise of spring. It always does come, even though winter seems like it will last forever.

* Incidentally, if you want to feel really popular, have a baby. Seriously. We've had visitors almost every day. Of course, they're not coming to see ME, but I can pretend.