Hearts at Home

Everywhere I look outside, green whispers along the branches of shrubs and trees.  At first it is nothing more than a subtle hint, a promise that spring is coming.

That promise is repeated by crocus and daffodils,  squill and snowflowers peeping from their flower beds.  Spring is coming.

Bundle up the baby!  Get out the toddler's trike!  Take the teenager for a walk after dinner!  Spring is coming, and now is the time to head outside, to look for robins wrestling worms and to breathe spring-fresh air.

It is a feast for the senses:  the feel of the sun's renewed strength warming my face; the sound of birds and frogs chirping, scolding, singing; the fragrance of lilac and lily of the valley.

Yes, this world might be full of danger and disaster, but there is something reassuring about spring:  in the face of death, there can be new life.  All of creation teaches us the reality of resurrection and renewal.

That makes it all the more important to acknowledge the new life growing and blooming and chirping about us, to recognize and cherish what is lovely and beautiful, and to encourage our children to notice such things as well.

We do that by cultivating and sharing our own sense of wonder and joy with our children.  Excitement is contagious, and when our children see or sense our excitement, they "catch" it.

Here are twelve ways to cultivate and share wonder and joy this spring:

• Enjoy breakfast or lunch outside, even if you have to wear jackets and mittens.
• Put a "petite bouquet" of early spring flowers on your son's desk, your daughter's nightstand, or in the family bathroom.
• Walk barefoot together in newly greening grass -- or in the mud!
• Don't let a gentle spring shower keep you from taking a walk together.  Get out the slickers and umbrellas and go.
• Organize a scavenger hunt:  take pictures from seed packets or garden catalogs, paste them individually on  index cards, and give each "team" a set of cards with instructions to find them in your yard (neighborhood, park, or garden) then note on the card where that plant was found.  Set a time limit, and reward players with a picnic snack.  (Variation:  use pictures of insects, birds, or trees.)
• Let your children help you wash windows, and remind them that this helps to "let the outside in."
• Together, read the account of creation from the book of Genesis.  Encourage your children to ask questions. Don't worry if you don't have answers to all their questions -- this helps them develop their own sense of "I wonder."
• If you have shrubs to prune, bring in some of your trimmings; put them in a vase.  If the stems are woody, smash the cut end with a hammer so the branch will take in water.  If the stems have begun to bud even a little bit when you prune them, they may leaf out in the warmth of your house.  Flowering shrubs like forsythia can be especially lovely if you trim them before they bloom.
• Cultivate a "picking garden" for your children.  Allow them to bring you a bouquet from this part of your garden whenever they wish.
• Watch for nests that have blown out of trees.   Look at them with your children; marvel at how intricately they are put together.
• If your children have mastered bike-riding, go for a ride together after dinner.  If they are still too young for bicycles, pull them in a wagon.  Let them know you are on a treasure hunt, looking for things like "a duck on the wing" or "jack-in-the-pulpit."
• Go outside with your children.  Make time to watch the last star disappear as the sun comes up, or go outside after dinner to look for the first star of the evening.  Notice how the colors of the sky shade into blue.

After a long winter of being cooped up in the house or mini-van, take advantage of spring's natural grace and beauty, and share those treasures with your children.

Wonder and joy are two things we can cultivate, and so never have to outgrow.