She said: I awake like spring. I'm reluctant to get started, and prone to fits of temper. The weather and my mood are a tad inconsistent, running a 40 degree span in a day. No wonder the mercurial and mystic spring awakening is marked by worldwide religious celebrations, along with non-religious celebrations of the equinox and of the coming growing season. Ancient cultures, too, revered this time of year, with its renewal and rebirth. Last week on TV I “discovered” that scientists believe Chaco Canyon is really a giant observatory to get a precise reading of the moon and stars during the Spring Equinox.

He said: I'll agree that you are hardly “little miss sunshine” in the mornings, but at least spring finally settles down and warms up. It is not just the yard that is greening up and transforming. Last week, I was reminded of how humans, your morning behavior aside, can be transformed. A Cedaredge friend has recently come back into our lives after several years of absence. He overcame alcohol addiction 30 years ago in a battle that was unknown to many. During his fight for recovery, he wrote poetry and finally self-published the pieces in a book. His daughter gave me a copy. I opened it and found a lyrical series of poems describing his experiences in obtaining and keeping sobriety while battling the loneliness and turmoil of the human condition. His success was not without pain. His battle is much like the travails of the garden plants right now. Seeds of redemption and understanding were sprouting and developing amid the temperamental swirl of all life's events. He transformed himself, just like a seed does, by becoming something more than an addict. He's now a grandfather, pivot point for his family, and a reflective poet.

She said: That is why we still undertake the labor of cleaning up the yard and planting. Your friend and the torturous experiences he writes about remind me of a bulb that has managed to sprout and bloom through a pile of leaves. The bulb, and the friend, managed to find the light even though a rock (addiction) was placed on top of it. Reading his work renews my determination to expose children to poetry and writing about their feelings. Instead of focusing on all the work that needs to be done or bemoaning the few bulbs and plants that didn't make it, I am reminded to focus on the beauty of what is growing and transforming. I need to admire the tenacity of the tulips that still come up in our kids' old sandbox even though I have dug them up and transplanted them many times. A bulb or two always remains to glow red in the middle of the lawn.

He said: You are right to focus on the little transformations. All of our human efforts in the garden are just to get the tiny seeds to win the struggle against the elements. We help create something that will hopefully grow into healthy plants that carry on their lineage while feeding us or showing us beauty. Human endeavors are the same way. We scatter our energy all over the place, plan big projects with long-term goals, and hope there are at least some blossoms down the road — enough money for retirement, happy grandchildren hunting Easter eggs or whatever. We often overlook the small triumphs and deeds of smaller size, but great importance. Like the sprouting of a single seed. I believe this individual's transformation is in many ways much more significant than anything that has happened lately on the world scene.

Politics and TV can show us massive movements, and all the blustering, complaints, and loud noise created by the Tea Party, Congress, party leaders, and local politicos. They all want more — water, better soil, and more sun, not content with the gifts to bloom that they have already been given. The Cedaredge poet didn't rail against his world. He took what he had and who he was and transformed it into a positive situation.

Spring is about the transformation, and yes, resurrection, of people, bulbs, seeds and other things. Not every day is perfect or sunny or above freezing. And it doesn't happen on just one day with lots of celebrations, advertisements, and bluster. It happens day by day, aided by steady work, and often in little or unobserved ways.

She said: You mean like Butler University in the NCAA tournament? I love how the little sprout got overlooked by all the sports mega-mouths and self-proclaimed experts and grew as far as they did.

He said: Oh, may your morning attitude undergo such a magical transformation!

The Skinners hope you find time to celebrate resurrections, large and small in the warming days ahead. They can be reached at jlajtls@bresnan.net.