These Tall Trees of Wisconsin

It is the end of May and many of these tall trees of Wisconsin are still outstretching their bare limbs to the sky in silent prayer, waiting to receive. Maybe it always takes this long for the leaves to return but, this spring, we are not distracted by the euphoric joy of spring fever. There is no spring fever. The skies have been dark, cold and rainy for weeks and weeks. Dare I say that Mother Nature seems schizophrenic, grappling with her identity, hesitating about what she wants to be? Wind, rain, falling leaves, bare trees and wilting flower buds that have bloomed to their death. It tricks our eyes. Is it Spring or is it really Fall? We hold onto to the promise of summer, fervently aching for those occasional days that come upon us suddenly, glowing with optimistic sunshine and a strange sensation we have forgotten: warmth.

Spring and Fall are both transitions, preparing us for what’s to come and letting go of what was. They set the stage, so to speak, for new expectations. As much as we complain, there is nothing we can do to make these transitions easier. We shiver through them, curse and bundle up only to strip away the layers when it suddenly gets too warm.

It was raining recently, steadily all day, and we were leaving the local grocery store when we ran into a friend. My husband commented on how crappy the weather was, and his friend replied, smilingly, “It’s perfect, for a rainy day!” I stopped for a moment, reveling in the wisdom of those words. It was a perfect rainy day. What a wonderful way of looking at the world, especially if you live in Wisconsin!