Ahhh spring…just breathe it in.  The snow giving way to new life as the spring flowers send up brave little shoots.  The pleasant smell of freshly exposed earth and the heralding of warmer days ahead.  The gentle rain and invigorating sunshine.  The days grow longer and I feel inspired to be more. It makes me want to dance, to spin with face uplifted and just enjoy the moment in praise to the One who gives it all–the One who commands the rising of the sun and the changing of the seasons.

Then we have those wild card days.  The sudden, snow-stormy days that invade our springtime euphoria and remind us that, sometimes,  we must be prepared for the unexpected.  Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 comes to mind:

To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up;
A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace. 

You see, while I take great pleasure in the sweet promises of spring, it is also a time of regret and deep sadness as I contemplate missed opportunities. My brother’s birthday just passed and every year it reminds me how much I take for granted. There will always be another chance to visit the next time around.  I’ll call a little later.  Of course he knows how much I love him.  Time misspent. Words left unspoken. Opportunity passed.  How I miss him. How I miss my dad, my grandparents. How I long for a do-over. How I wish I learned the lesson well and that I could say I always share my heart now, that I seek out my loved ones regularly just to hug them and say, “I love you.”

As in preceding years, I am prompted to do better, and perhaps this time I will be more diligent.  Perhaps this time I’ll remember that there is a time to speak, a time to embrace, a time to love. The time is now.