“Little darlin’, it’s been a long, cold, lonely winter. Little darlin’, it feels like years since it’s been here. Here comes the sun. Here comes the sun, and I say, it’s alright…” – George Harrison, The Beatles (1969, Abbey Road)
Yesterday the sun came out in all it’s summery glory. The Hubs and I spent the afternoon on the deck, putting together two more Adirondack chairs and enjoying the occasional refreshing over-spray of the lawn sprinkler. I slathered on the sunblock and avoided my first sunburn of the season. Someone else chose not to use the SPF and got a nice tan on his face. I’m just sayin’.
Amidst all this early summer fun, I saw a mosquito or two. I’m having PTSD where those little blood-suckers are concerned. It’s sort of like we’ve come full circle here — at the end of this month it will be a year since we sold our condo in Surrey and moved Northward to Vanderhoof. And winter was hard for me, in both the literal and the metaphorical sense. Very hard.
So this bit of early summer in May is welcome. So very welcome. My windows are thrown open and my spirits are higher today. My thoughts are forward, having found a contractor at last to get some important renos done on this old house. And planning for a trip to the coast to take SweetEsther (our 1982 Westfalia van and the inspiration for this blog) to a VW specialist for an engine rebuild so that hopefully we can get a little adventuring in this summer. The other upside of that long, expensive drive to the coast is the chance to visit with dear friends we left behind last year. To top it off, we got some great coffees at The Drive Thru and brought them home to sit on our new deck chairs, watching the creek go by . . . and that’s when I caught the first glimpse of a hummingbird at my feeder. Yah!
Some days (or weeks, or months) it feels like it’s all falling apart. On those days, it’s important to remember that sometimes when things stall out and go no where, it’s just a cold season. Spring comes. Breezes blow warm, green grass and leaf buds happen, good things happen, and spirits are strengthened. The sun shines warm. And I find that because I persevered through the cold and dark and lonely of winter, because I came out the winner in some of those battles, my heart starts to believe that maybe, just maybe, I can win the war after all.
The weatherman says that this little ‘heat wave’ won’t last long. But here’s what I know will happen regardless of how warm or cool the temperatures feel for the next few weeks; I know that the trees will continue to unfurl their bright green leaves; I know the hummingbird who found my feeder once can find it again (maybe with friends, maybe with babies!) And I know that when next winter comes, I will welcome it as sweet relief from mosquitoes and wild-fire smoke. I will welcome it in a house that will be at least a little closer to my dream because I found a builder who’s coming to help on Monday. And I know that no matter what my circumstances look like then, I will be wiser and stronger and more focused for having made it through this winter of discontent.
Hang in there. It’s just a season.
#SweetEsther
SweetEsther Chronicles 