Rituals of Spring

The other day, I bought some tulips at the grocery store.  It was a gloomy day, threatening snow, and they just looked so appealing in their buckets that I gathered up two bouquets and brought them home.

As I was settling them in a vase, a bucket of indirect light poured through the window and glossed the petals.  I peeked into the centers of the flowers, seeing the dark stars at the base of the flowers and the stamens, sturdy and sexy.  I thought about going to get my camera to take some photos.

And then I remembered that I do it every year.  Choose these very flowers—pale pink and orange edged with flame yellow.  I put them in a vase and shoot them against the dark snowy days of April (which just doesn’t even sound right!).  One of my nieces loved one set enough that she had prints made and hung them in her apartment.  One of my own favorites is a tulip reflected in the silver faucet.  And this morning, I shot this one.  Well, actually I shot 46 photos, but this one was one of my favorites.

I also like this one, which looks like a bunch of girls whispering.[image error]

It’s a peaceful little ritual, shooting tulips on wintery spring days.  It brings the promise of the coming season a little closer, where I can believe in it.  It brings the light, it brings beauty.

Do you have rituals like this? Has spring arrived in your world yet? If not, what are you doing to keep believing it will come?