For once, we missed the bad weather on Long Island.  I saw a few stray snowflakes this morning, but that was it.

Instead, while driving around this morning I saw a few brave bands of migrating robins – the so-called harbingers of spring.  So despite the cold, leafless winter weather – the spring is not too far off.  Soon we’ll see kinglets and other early migrants presaging warmer days and spring green.

These lovely avian reminders of the changing seasons makes me think about change in general – looking forward, while knowing where we’ve come from.  The sweetness of the first spring flower is made still sweeter by memory of the icy cold that came before it.  And spring makes us think about rebirth, renewal and of course for many of us, resurrection.

So let’s use those hardy robins as a bellweather for a change in our current situation.  Let’s leave the winter behind us – and with it Mary Elizabeth’s illness and infection – and look to the spring as the time when she comes home, enters fully into the swing of rehabilitation and finally, really comes home to us.

Michael and Melanie visited Mary Elizabeth this evening in London and reported back that she was alert, engaged and aware – except for when she wasn’t.  She followed the conversation, and was most connected when the topic of conversation was home and family.  Communication is still a challenge for Mary Elizabeth, but Michael and Mel felt her enthusiasm rise when talking Charlotte, Clark & Louisa.  The new ward is apparently busier and a little more hectic that where she was before, so there’s bound to be some adjustment for her. I’ll be sending along more pictures of friends and family to hang up around the bed for inspiration.

Tomorrow morning Clark and Louisa are singing in the primary choir at church, so I’m looking forward to that, and to telling Mary Elizabeth all about it when I see her.  Then we’ll have a visit from Cathy, Mary Elizabeth’s childhood friend, and Godmother to all our children.  I haven’t seen Cathy since Thanksgiving so am really looking forward to the visit.

So in your travels this week, keep a lookout for signs of spring – and change – and keep those encouraging, uplifting thoughts and prayers coming.  Thank you.