Hope Comes V-Shaped

Saturday mornings are lovely, aren’t they?  The Dahl house has what we affectionately call Law and Order Saturdays.  One or the other of us gets up, makes coffee, whips up some pancake batter, and turns on Law and Order, which I’m pretty sure is on 24/7.

This morning was no different.  A little sleepin’ in, a cup of good strong coffee, waffles today with some of our real Vermont maple syrup stash (We lived in Vermont for 14 years and are absolutely addicted to the stuff).  Mmmmmmm…

After a leisurely breakfast and a favorable jury verdict, I was ready to start my day.  As I was getting dressed, I heard a vaguely familiar sound coming from outside.  Initially I wasn’t sure what it was, but I instinctively froze and listened carefully.  Still too muffled to be discerned, I waited, somehow knowing that I WANTED to discover its source.  It quickly grew in intensity until I could label it.  Geese!!  Beautiful honking, noisy geese.  I ran to the window.  They were coming in wave after wave of V-shaped platoons. 

Migration is a fascinating thing to me.  How DO they know when its time to leave and arrive?  I honestly believe that our house sits in the middle of a major flight path, because the spectacle is breathtaking twice every year without fail.  For days at a time, it will be a near constant sight of those awe inspiring V shapes casting shadows over my house and yard.

The sight is wonderful and the symbolism is just as powerful.  It means spring is really and truly here!  No more longing and wondering.  It is now confirmed by God’s creatures.  They KNOW. They wouldn’t leave warmer climates prematurely.  So it must be true.

I think my annual rite is a powerful symbol of hope.  Faith is trusting that everything will be alright, even when you have absolutely no evidence to support that belief.  It is clinging to hope when every instinct tells you to panic.  Today we are waiting for yet another winter storm.  Dire predictions have been forecast all week, and now it looks like the worst will pass north of us, but the day is dreary and overcast and you can feel and sense the moisture that will descend within hours.  And yet…

I heard geese today.  

My soul now scoffs at a last attempt by Mother Nature to dampen my spirit and cause dismay at winter’s refusal to leave quietly.  Even sitting here now I can hear them honking above me.  I went to school today to get some work done (you knew that teachers work six days a week, right?)  I stepped out of my vehicle and reveled in the sight of yet more geese.  They are coming in droves to their summer home.  Welcome, Beautiful Promise of balmy days and vibrant sunshine!

So when life just feels too big... and too hard...and darkly hopeless, remember that all of creation is cyclical.  Night comes before daybreak.  Winter after fall harvest.  Children grow up to have children of their own.  And spring comes after the long night of winter.  Do not despair.  Cling to hope and the promise of life sustaining rains and warming sunshine.  Then take your cue from those glorious geese and follow your heart to a new day.