The Whole of Springtime

As waiting threatens to undo me, I know that accepting what I can’t have is a part of living wholeheartedly. I know that if I can just wait long enough I will meet the longing that rests beneath this one. And in meeting it, reveal what I want most of all.

But there are some things that can’t wait like the push of spring in the flowers that bloom along the abandoned streets. The fiery reds and soft pinks and the bird song that comes with it. It’s a much stronger impulse. The one that lies beneath, awoken and realised but not without trauma. Flowers must burst open despite the odds.

I noticed this the other day as I walked in the warm sunshine on my way to the health food store. The whole of spring seemed to stretch out, threatening all the empty spaces. A young cat, a rare site in Bari, sparkled in the sunlight as she slunk towards me, at ease.

The longer we wait the more we learn about ourselves, uncovering the hidden desires just beneath the immediate ones. The ones that propel us forward. We discover who we are when we are not getting what we want or when life is hard and unbending. Allow waiting to move you past the quick fix.