Spring has
sprung in Maine, and everyone is happy about it. Each year, there are certain
“rites” of spring that we all look forward to – warmer weather is the “biggie”,
but there are lots of other things we expect to happen. Seed catalogs have
arrived, and gardens are being prepped for planting. Lines are re-painted on
the roadways in anticipation of the summer visitors, and in our little village
of Searsport, the coffee shop re-opens for the season.
This year
the shop has re-opened with new owners. They are a young couple in their early
30’s, and they have all the zestful enthusiasm of new entrepreneurs, and I
think they will do very well (and, hopefully, will do it for a long time). As
the “regulars” start to wander in and notice the subtle changes (new paint on
the walls, new menu, condiments moved to the other side of the room, etc.) we
“ooh” and “ahh” and rejoice to each other that the shop is open again.
Today, I
noticed a rite of spring that I feel goes unnoticed… the “Rite of Reconnection”.
Winters in
Maine are cold and snowy, (no kidding, right?... LOL) so we tend to hibernate.
When it’s snowing out you tend to stay indoors until everything is plowed and
shoveled, and you spend as little time as possible in the “elements”. When we
finally start venturing out in the spring, we need to catch up on what went on
during our social dormancy.
As folks
came into the shop we find out all the news we’ve missed out on for several
months – some of it good, and some not-so-good. We hear about the vacation in
Florida, the cruise through the Panama Canal, and the surprise visit from Aunt
so-and-so over Christmas. We also hear about the knee replacement that had to
be done sooner than expected, and the snow blower that broke down right after
the biggest snow storm of the winter. It’s definitely “catch-up” time, and it
no longer surprises me, how long we can miss seeing each other and yet take
such a short time to get caught up again.
I think we need to do this “re-connecting” because, whether
we like to admit it or not, we all depend on each other, and deep down I think
we yearn for relationships with others.
Native Americans believe the year actually begins with winter,
not spring. They feel the earth is rejuvenating itself during the winter, a lot
like our bodies are rejuvenating themselves when we are asleep at night. When
we awake in the morning, we are refreshed and ready to face the day (after a
good cup of coffee, of course), and in the spring “Mother Earth” is ready to
perform another cycle of growing, after “resting” during the winter.
On my way home from the coffee shop, it occurred to me that
this need for the “Rite of Reconnection” is not restricted to humans, but
perhaps is inherent in all mammals.
As I passed my neighbor’s yard I heard some squeaky noises.
I stopped, and noticed three squirrels facing each other, chattering away in
their tiny voices. They weren’t fighting or chasing each other… they were just
looking at each other and chattering. I wondered what they were saying to
each other in their squirrelly voices…
“All your nuts were stolen?”
“How awful”
“Did you call the squirrel police?”
“Do they have any suspects?”
“You must be STARVED!”
Spring time… They’re reconnecting after a cold winter. I
guess we all do it.
