Vernal Equinox 2022 -- Eddying Out to Rest

           As each new spring arrives and greenery rises with the warming sunshine, I’m filled with hope, despite the dark clouds lurking ever on the horizon.  I remind myself to take my eyes off of the distant storms and to look more closely at what spring is revealing right in front of me.  In order to do this, I must “eddy out” from the rushing river of society, media, and the violent rapids of human turmoil.  I will be right back in that mainstream current as soon as I turn on any device, drive a car, or even look at the mail, but for just a few minutes each day, I seek rest from the rushing river.
            Those resting places, those eddies, are found where a new flower has just bloomed next to a melting snowdrift.  They are found inside a spring snowflake’s perfection as it lands on my sleeve, or in a big fat raindrop that tastes like warm weather.  They are found in springtime breezes and sunrises and sunsets.  They are found when a migrating bird lands nearby for a rest, or when a wintering bird sings a new spring song I’ve not heard since last summer.
They are sometimes even found right in the middle of the city when for just a moment, I’m the only one driving or cycling on a three-block stretch of road, or the only one walking down a normally busy sidewalk.  I always take a deep breath of spring air and relish the moment, even if that moment only really lasts a mere a few seconds.
            A number of years ago I compiled a book of essays entitled Interstices, and as I revisit that text with a mind to editing, revising, and perhaps publishing hard copy (It’s only published online on the Smashwords platform), I realize that the concept of The Eddy and the concept of Interstices are one in the same.  Even as modern life accelerates to an ever more alarming pace, I return to the slowly evolving magic of springtime, and to the magic of taking “moments between” where rest and rejuvenation will always be a natural part of my existence.
            Happy Vernal Equinox, 2022.