Anticipation

As the sun crept into my office last week, I have to say that my heart was filled with a small hope that the endless barrage of snow and ice that we have been experiencing would soon have it's end. I have to admit that for the three years that I have lived in Northern Germany, I have been inwardly annoyed when it would start to snow, only to stop 30 minutes later or melt as soon as it hit the ground. It was reminiscing about feet high snow from my beloved West Virginia mountains that sparked the childlike excitement in me, only to be disappointed that it had left as soon as it had come. But like anything, too much of a good thing is, well,... just too much. We had snow almost the whole time while we were in to visit my parents, only to return to a snow-covered Germany which has never gotten warm enough to melt what is already here, but just seems to keep adding to the white blanket that covers the ground.

Last year I picked up this sweet little print by one of my favorite Worpswede artists, Heinrich Vogeler, when we visited the well known artist community not far from my husband's hometown. I can really feel the struggle of the delicate little crocuses fighting their way to the surface to announce that spring will soon be here... inwardly one knows that the snow cannot last forever and is ever hopeful of the new life that will soon burst forth.

... in some way it is almost my little reminder of what is to come. As the months turn into weeks, and the weeks turn into days, I am hopefully anticipating the arrival of our "new life". I am so delighted that our baby will be a "spring baby". For me, springtime is one of the best seasons of the year... a season of new life, hope, and anticipation.