New Year. New Life.

I have to admit that I have no problem stepping over the threshold from 2021 to 2022. Much of the past year was like the last few cloudy, dreary days of this year of 2021: 

-- Gray, but
warmer than expected. 

Not necessarily a good thing.
Cloudy. Moist.
A bit solitary, dankly so.
Sluggish --

Someday I will fill some "vacation" days with activity whether it be of the fun or the necessary sort, but these last few days deserved a cozy, lazy resignation. A recovery--the kind you can't rush or pretend away. The kind that proves the old adage: time heals. In 2021 time ticked or often flew by, and I for one couldn't decide whether I regretted the pace either way. It was a year to be gotten through--for me anyway. 

But, as a gardener the days that are difficult and that feel like a grind are those I label: Sowing Days. Those who farm or garden know that there are the boring--paint primer--kind of days that don't show tangible progress and sometimes feel like a backward motion. Seed is put into the ground and left there. Only faith and some patience will help a person through the weeks that follow until the ground takes on a sort of greenish hue.

-- Short, narrow shoots.
Carpet the soil. 
Some intentionally planted. Others weeds--but only time will reveal intention.
It is life, nonetheless.

Hope --

Like the natural cycles of life we have to have faith that there have been hundreds--thousands--of viable seeds sown over the last two years while it seemed nothing good happened, nothing worthwhile grew. 

In time, those seeds will spring forth and bring color and life to what appeared to be useless dirt.

Let us rest easy knowing that bringing new life into the world is never easy work but just when we assume the soil will yield nothing, there will appear the little green signs of life. 

They will come. I am certain of it.

See you then!