April 2007

Dear Friends,

It’s April again, the spring flowers are sprouting, and the birds are starting to make a crazy racket in the early morning hours. The trees are still mostly brown, but the forest floor near the creeks is quickly turning green. The transformation back to awakening seems quirky and unpredictable and unstoppable all at the same time. Like us.

Every spring, when the weather starts to turn warmer, I get a strong feeling of “spring fever”, a rising energy inside of me that makes me want to go outside, play, connect, and to express all parts of who I am — crazy and intense or boring and quiet. I wonder if you ever experience that kind of upward arising of energy, and whether you follow that energy toward freedom?

For some of us, I think there is fear about stepping out of what feels usual and comfortable. If we really open up, then the world will see the full expression of who we are, and they might not like it. We might not like it either. Who we really are IS quirky, and unpredictable. It’s certainly not perfect, and probably not even what we think of as “beautiful.” But this organic energy of spring pushes us up and out, and it is truly unstoppable. If we resist it, if we dam it up, we can end up feeling fatigued, ill, or even depressed. We are part of nature, and so are created to grow and to share ourselves with the world, however hard that might be for us.

This spring, I hope that each of us will find the courage to express our true nature, at least to ourselves, and maybe even to other people. I know I would love to experience the fullness of who you are. And let’s support each other by accepting each other’s imperfections, and instead celebrate the fact that we are brave enough to step out of our caves and into the warm spring sun. With love,

Annie

Enough
by David Whyte

Enough. These few words are enough.
If not these words, this breath.
If not this breath, this sitting here.

This opening to the life
we have refused
again and again
until now.

Until now.