Mud As Clear Perspective

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how I really don’t like Spring. 

And it’s true, I really don’t. I hate the mud and the brown mess of everything. Just when you can’t wait for Spring, and green, and Summer, and beauty, you have to do all of this mud stuff.

Not cool, weather. Not cool.

But as I was out walking my dog last week, I thought, wow, this is really beautiful weather. I love Spring! And I caught myself, because I couldn’t believe what I had just thought. Me? Love Spring? Oh, dear.

How ever could one know what sweetness is
If one had never tasted bitterness?
For inward happiness was never his
Who never was in sorrow or distress.

-Troilus and Criseyde, Geoffrey Chaucer

We have had such a long, cold winter, that when the 40-, 50-, and 60-degree weather came the last few days, even the mud was a welcome sight. The hardest Winter we’ve had in a long time made me realize and really appreciate Spring.

Chaucer was on to Something

You can’t know true sweetness if you have never tasted bitterness. Would you truly appreciate the sweetness of honey if you had never tasted the bitterness of a lemon? Sure, you might think it was sweet, but you wouldn’t fully understand just exactly how amazingly sweet it was in comparison to some of the not-so-sweet foods.

Would we really know the true warmth of Spring and Summer had we not just experienced the coldest, snowiest Winter EVER?! (Okay, maybe not ever, but close.) Maybe not.

Ironically, tomorrow the temperature is supposed to drop again to only be in the thirties for the day—it’s probably my fault for complaining about the mud. Sorry! 🙂

[It happens to be Easter week, and I think this picture of the seasons has more to say than just some snow and mud. Come back later this week to see what in the world Good Friday has to do with Geoffrey Chaucer.]