An article from Daily OM that relates to me

FROM "DAILY OM"

February 18, 2008 Mysterious Beginnings :The Necessity Of Winter


"As any gardener knows, the bulbs that contain the beautiful flowers of spring and summer—daffodils, irises, tulips, gladiolas—cannot bloom until they have endured a period of cold. Held in the dark earth during the frigid winter months, they undergo internal adjustments and changes invisible to our eyes. Like babies gestating in the lightless, watery wombs of their mothers, they are fully engaged in the process of preparing to be born. So many of the greatest mysteries of life begin this way, with a powerful urge for growth enclosed in a small, dark space.



We humans have a tendency to yearn for the light, for the coming of spring, and for the more visible phase of growth that all things express in coming to be. In our love for what we can see with our eyes we sometimes lose patience for, and interest in, the world of darkness that nurtures and protects the seeds, bulbs, and babies of the world for such an important part of their life cycles. It is a perilous and mysterious phase of growth, and one that we have little control over, and perhaps that is why we don’t celebrate it with quite the same passion as we do the lighter and brighter phases of life. Nevertheless, we ourselves endure similar periods of developing in the darkness throughout our lives.



Meditating on the image of a bulb, a seed, or an embryo, can bring us into alignment with the side of our own natures that is like the earth in winter—seemingly asleep but busily attending to details of growth that create the pattern for the children, flowers, and creative expressions to come. Touching down on this place in ourselves, we may feel at once peaceful and activated, utterly still and yet fully creative, quietly in tune with the dark and mysterious beginnings of life."



this is the second winter that it was winter in just about name only. no snow days. yesterday we did have a late opening for freezing rain, but it was almost like a mercy late opening. i read the above article a couple of days ago and it felt like me. i haven't had a chance to go dormant, and i am the dormant type. this may have contributed to why i am not able to be creative, and haven't been since last february. two winters in a row...

saturday, february, in shorts...

nothing is normal anymore, is it?
we had an 80 degree day this week...in the beginning of february. i am becoming despondent at the thought that i might not see anymore snow or cold weather. the 10 day forecast isn't promising, and omar is not speaking.
basketball is coming to a close. next week is the last of the regular season games. the team won last night at lee davis, and austin did well. mom and dad came up to see him play. it was an awful game in terms of officiating. horrid, horrid calls. austin fouled out, the last one on an illegal pic. hard to believe. he scored 2 points, but he played with a lot of fervor. his harem of LD girls came over to see me in the stands (they didn't come when we were at atlee, and i think that was because i had amy, the girlfriend, with me. amy was not there last night.) i ended up standing in the stands with the students and it got hairy towards the end. but we won, and i owe the team pizza after practice on monday as promised.
i am restless and bored right now and want to go out, but really have no where i have to be. i don't need to spend money, but i could go to the store. however, my back has been a major issue this week, and today i am hurting all over and stiff. good things: back is better, had good chinese last night, LD lost and austin was fine; had a good visit with the parents;
nothing earthshaking going on. life is good for the most part.