The Promise of Spring

The first day of Spring in 2007 was March 21.
Tomorrow is Easter Sunday in the Christian community. When I was growing up and when we were raising our children, that meant the promise of a new spring outfit for everyone except Dad. And each year there was a question. Will we be warm enough dressed like this?
If things followed our normal patterns, tomorrow we would feel chilly in our new spring togs. Because it is snowing outside right now. Who said the globe is warming? Any stray butterflies will be in trouble tonight as the temperature will be below freezing. And our guests tomorrow would be in trouble sitting out on the patio without a decent wrap.
This year the implied promise of spring, warm enough to wear the new sleeveless dress, or go without a jacket, is broken. Parents around here are scrambling to find wraps that go with the new outfits. Or they have decided to attend a later church service and let everyone out under the portico without wraps.
All of this is academic, however, because that is not really what the promise of spring is about. It seems to me to be more about the birth of our Lord, which is a new beginning after a long winter. And that promise can be kept in 2007, even if it still feels like winter. Have a happy Easter, everyone!