A Year of Gratitude – February 10, 2024

Gratitude found me in the garden today. We were treated to a day with temperatures that hit 60 degrees. It felt like late spring instead of early February. I was grateful for bright sunshine and a morning round of chores that didn’t include frozen water or icy ground.

After I let the chickens and ducks out for the day, I took a slow walk to inspect the garden beds. We’ve had enough sunshine over the last week to melt away most of our snow cover, leaving more than half of the beds uncovered. Once I can see the garden beds, I can hardly wait to start planting. Of course, I have a few months to wait until we can safely plant anything.

I discovered this new growth on our largest hydrangea that lives in the shade of the old barn. The sun was shining on my back as I stood to look at this small green leaf among the old wood from last year’s blooming season. I stood there for several minutes, enjoying the warm sun and the sight of the first green leaf I have seen emerge this year.

I don’t know if this leaf will be able to tolerate the winter weather on the way this week. We’re expecting nearly a foot of fresh snow and a return to wintry temperatures. It’s possible that this new growth won’t make it, that the weather will be inhospitable, and it will become a casualty to the conditions. I hope that it won’t, but I know that it is a possibility.

In the moment today, I had to take a deep breath and accept the possibility. I can’t control the weather. I can’t protect this tiny leaf from the whims of Mother Nature and our unpredictable weather. I have to accept that it is beyond my control. I can only hope that it somehow finds the strength to hold on until spring when it can stretch out and turn towards the sun.

And so I will hope that weather, sunlight, strong roots, and a healthy dose of good fortune will all come together to help these leaves persevere and see spring arrive. If it does, we’ll have a beautiful summer together.

I hope that today included something beautiful for you to witness and that you gave yourself permission to enjoy it.

This post is part of our A Year of Gratitude Series. You can find the introduction, inspiration, and entire year’s gratitude’s posts here.