Lost and found this spring.

Heavy clumps of melting snow plummeted from shingled roofs, on my walk along the slippery sidewalk. Nearby evergreens bowed wearily under the weight of their captive snow. Record snowfalls buried us knee deep this past February. But the big melt is coming and so is spring, I thought. Getting lost and found this spring is refreshing…

Big Melt is Coming

I was lost in thought, when a sloppy glob of slush hit me on the head and brought me back to reality. I realized everything is lost and found, not just me in my thoughts.

In the fall, nature may seem lost but then is found again. As the trees stand barren, the land feels empty. Earth grows cold and dark.

Time passes and the loss of autumn is reborn this spring.

The warmth is coming; it is inevitable. Spring is almost here and she brings us new life. Despite the late-winter blustery winds and the snow covered branches, buds grow quietly, determined. In no time at all, they break through to the warmth of the spring sun. March rallies new found hope in hearts worn down by the cold, dark nights of winter.

This is a month of beginnings.

However many trees lose leaves, no matter what branches break in the winter winds and how many garden plants may have wilted away, many more are returning. Nature grows more each spring. We cannot stop her. She is robust and determined in her emergence.

This graceful life lesson of all that exists, is understated and so often overlooked.

Life is expanding.

We are expanding with every breath.
My gentle nudge to every client is: ‘No Breath is Ever Wasted’. Thus, no step is in vain.

Every step we take is the right step along our path. We are of nature. And, nature is all that is. As the snowdrops reveal their slender white caps through the late winter snow, we are reminded to accept what is. Accept it why? Because ‘what is’ is continually transforming and growing. What is today, is no longer tomorrow. Know this fundamental truth: our biggest challenge is to choose our direction. Spring, the season of re-birth, supports us in setting a new goal, naturally.

– your new direction begins now –

But which way do you grow?

Are you a meadow or a forest? Perhaps, you are learning another language or growing a family? You can’t grow everything at once. After all, even nature only grows in one direction at a time: first roots below then plants above. Simple, no?

Do this Spring Exercise to enhance your mind and body connection.

First, decide what five plants or animals grab your attention? Then, choose what you find interesting about each one. Without a doubt, there is a connection and life lesson there for you. Every lesson on your path is like a day in the season of your life. Ask yourself a question. Instantly your mind starts to figure out the answer. The trick is to take time. Now, sit with the question long enough (at least a few breaths, ideally longer!), as if you are thawing from a winter of rest. The question of direction is like planting a seed in the garden. At this moment, you truly are in charge of your destiny.

What will you plant? What will your grow with your mind, with your heart?

You have the ability, the skills, the experience and resources to grow in any direction you choose.  No matter how small a change you make, it creates a world of difference in your life. Remember the Chinese proverb: a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step (Lao Tau, Tao Te Ching)  You may be inspired by the migration of the monarch butterflies as you spot the first butterfly of the season. This could mean you are ready for big migrations. Perhaps the returning hummingbirds catch your eye. Some Indigenous cultures view hummingbirds as good luck, harbingers of joy and love. It may be a sign to open your heart to joy of life this season. Whatever the lesson may be, know that is there just for you.

I found this lesson for spring in a little free library: 
The only true exile is the writer who lives in his own country. -- Julio Cortazar

You are right on time.

“A tree as great as a man’s embrace springs from a small shoot;
A terrace nine stories high begins with a pile of earth;
A journey of a thousand miles starts under one’s feet.” — Tao Te Ching Chapter 64

I wrote this article for March Health Column of the South Etobicoke News 2025.

Learn how to grow your mind and body connection with mindful journalling: