March Mysteries

March is a tomboy with tousled hair, 

a mischievous smile, mud on her shoes 

and a laugh in her voice. 

-Hal Borland- 

Yesterday March was playing in the sun, turning snow into mud and laughing with the river on its endless journey to the sea. Today she’s shedding tears of joy that wet the soil and help us know how tears and laughter go together. We’re in a variety show that’s being created by the angels of Spring. What will tomorrow bring? What songs will they sing? What mysteries will we experience in this magical mystical month of March? Is this Winter or Spring? The answer we receive is always Yes! It’s March. 


March as a tomboy is so wonderfully appropriate. When I was a youngster I had a tomboy friend. She had mischievous smiles, tousled hair and a mysterious sense of wonder. We played tag, marbles, climbed trees and reveled in the everyday ordinary. Of course, we were finally tamed by our culture to ‘grow up’ and so we did, sort of. I continue to wonder about the angels, the messengers that live in us and the need to honor them. March helps us remember these mysteries as we embrace the many opposites day after day after day. 

As I look over this calendar month, I’m seeing lots of opposites. Mardi Gras is a no holds barred celebration of physicality while Lent is a time of reflection, penitence and spirituality. Daylight savings time arrives along with another full moon and solstice to mark Nature’s ongoing creativity. College students follow basketball tournaments called March Madness with endless revelry. Trees bud, flowers grow, endings become beginnings while most of us miss the show and forget to go with Nature’s flow. 

Buried in our day to day cruising and bruising we miss what’s happening in plain sight. We march to the beat of the clock while forgetting we don’t have to mind it. Isn’t life to be savored in ways that help us see the beauty of our days? Isn’t the mystery of Life something worth exploring beyond the fog and the haze? To see Springtime as the land of awakening helps us look deeply within; to sit by the rivers, the waterfalls, the gardens, our next of kin. Mother Nature awakens, calmly cradling all of creation with gentle power hour after hour after hour. 

As you journey through this month of mysteries, awaken to the many features of every day that are here for you. Sit with the rain, the snow, the wind, the sun, the moon and the stars. Become aware of the awakenings taking place in all of Nature’s many hours. Rather than taking power walks and runs, take reflective walks that allow you to be with Nature rather than just passing through. Notice the buds awakening on the trees and smell the flowers in the morning breeze. Let the angels of Spring play and sing with you while your tomboy dances through. 

  • Allow a new view to appear within you about the month of March. See each day as a gift of Life that’s being expressed for the greater good. Also note how we humans influence the weather, the seasons, the ability of Nature to be in harmony and not. . . . 

  • When the wind blows, the rain pours, the snow flies, the sun shines, the calm soothes; give thanks for the mysteries that bring fort abundant Life. Commit to being a better steward of Nature’s mysteries in whatever way you can. Give thanks and honor your Earthly Home in thoughts, words and actions. . . . Learn to laugh and dance with the wind. . . . 

 

  • Spend more time outdoors this month. Go beyond the boundaries of your normal habitat which could be your own back yard. Notice the buds on the trees as they open and expand. Be aware of what magically erupts from the ground once the snow melts. Become more aware of the birds, the insects, the sights and sounds as Winter turns to Spring out there and inside of you. What new awareness is this eternal moment awakening for you? What’s springing forth from within to create something new?


Fr. Rick Meyers+