No Lamb In March

The old adage for March goes something like; "In like a lion, out like a lamb, or in like a lamb, out like a lion."

There was no lamb in March. It began cold and raw and essentially remained in that state for the duration. February was warmer. To add insult to injury, March spat a Nor'easter at us that delivered 12" of heavy, wet snow on April 1. How's that for an April Fools delivery?

I've always considered March to be the cruelest month. Not just this year, but nearly every year. Sure, March delivers spring to us, technically falling on March 20 or 21. The reality is that March is where winter hangs on by its fingernails, digging its claws into our psyche, keeping our optimism for hope springs eternal at frozen bay.

Cheers to March being done and moving, if slowly, into the realm of new life and blooms. I'm eager to hear happy birds, finding food aplenty in the yard and nourishing their offspring. Watching parents and children gather at baseball and softball fields to watch their kids play games that will soon slip from memory with people who will not.

There are no guarantees. The planet forms and transforms, absorbing, adapting and presenting itself. There are lessons here for the inhabitants.