The Crocus: spring’s herald of beautiful possibilities

I have about a foot of snow left in my Wisconsin garden. Not a foot deep, mind you, but a little swath of white stuff on the north side of the house that’s about a foot wide and an inch or two deep. Another warm spring day and all the snow will be gone–and I am glad of it.

I’ve lived in Wisconsin all of my life, so I know full well that we could get another snow event. But I also know that it won’t last long. As I grow older, I sometimes wish we didn’t live in a state with so much cold weather. But then I see the lovely crocus springing up from its long winter sleep and I remember that the seemingly endless season of cold is necessary to bring about such floral beauty. Like its companion plantings of tulips, daffodils, iris, hyacinths and muscari, enduring the cold of winter is what brings about the beautiful flowers of spring.

The cold is what makes the beautiful flower possible.

It is for this stunningly beautiful reason that I spend time on my knees every autumn burying more tiny floral possibilities.

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Every Friday I join a community of bloggers for Five Minute Friday. A single word prompt. Free-write for five minutes. Unedited. This week’s word: Possible.