The abundance of this month is almost too much if your soul is one that comes alive when the earth is fully relaxed. If ever there is such a time around here, it is the month of May.
The leafy density alone is worthy of praise. Last night I counted a dozen different shades of brilliant green, back lit by a setting sun. Trees finally sport their full dress after the delicate unfolding in April. Their tentative first steps become a full waltz in May, and I dance with them.
Strawberries are in. I brought home a few quarts the other day with the intent to “put them up” or produce a cobbler, but Joe ate them all. In the brief moment they were in residence in the kitchen, however, the fragrance was bliss - the essence of May somehow contained in a tiny pinkish-red orb of pure delight.
Meanwhile, along the back fence, the jasmine announces itself on every breeze, and the hydrangeas have stepped onstage, their blue billows thanking me for the emergency efforts a couple of months ago during the last frost.
As I write this, the birds are waking up, as happy as I am in the midst of all this. I can hear it in their songs. Before the day lays hold and things begin to press, they remind me to celebrate, and I do.
There is goodness to savor in each month and every season, for which I am grateful - but the sweetness of May is a tiny glimpse of Heaven itself.
Artwork by Beth Yarbrough.
As a rule, my favorite season is Fall, but I do like Spring for two reasons: The blooming Irises and the return of the beloved hummingbirds. I really love observing them on my feeder from my large kitchen window. ❤️