Our Rural Roots

Meredith Bernard, Contributor

If I've said it once the past few months, I reckon I've said it a thousand times: "Spring can't get here fast enough."

Honestly, I say this same thing every year. For the past several winters, our farm has been served an unhealthy dose of rain with a huge side of mud, all of which has lent itself to struggles on top of struggles. Mud complicates equipment breakdowns, calving and feeding cows, and messes with emotions. More than once, weather has made us question whether the battle is worth it.

In the muck and mire of winter, it's easy to lose sight of what's just around the corner. Hope can be hard to find when the dog and the kids are coated in gunk, and the outdoors sticks to you whether you want it to or not.

Then one day, the trees start to bud, birds find their songs again, dormant pastures begin to find new life, and the days finally get longer in a different and better way. The rains may continue, but even the air carries a scent that speaks of renewal. And, those first bouquets of flowers that find their way into my kitchen seem heaven-sent, whether they contain daffodils or dandelions.

Spring always comes, and it's never actually too late. It's always right on time when we need it most.

When the calendar turns to April, I can begin to look back and see what I overlooked during the mud days. The necessity of winter's stay is there to prepare us for the arrival of its leaving. Growth comes from wading through the hard in preparation for what lies ahead.

Seasons come and go, but they depend on each other. What matters most is learning to embrace them for what they are, appreciate them for what they teach and grow in and through them all.

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> Blogger Meredith Bernard writes, takes photographs and sticks it out through mud season from her North Carolina family farm. Follow her on Twitter @thisfarmwife and visit her website at thisfarmwife.com.

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