The winter has done its damage. The trees have dropped some of their branches. Last years brilliant green leaves are faded yellow and smashed into the garden soil. It looks bleak and dreary. It makes my heart sad.
As I move around the yard I begin to see the tiny bits of red leaves pushing through the ground.
The peonies are coming up. 
The tulips and aconites in the yard are popping up. There are a few in the garden 
beds but now the grass is greening and even more flowers are following suit.
In this mud season and season of sadness we need to move slowly and look closely for the signs of growth. The signs of recovery. They are there but hidden among the winter trauma. It will get better. It will take time and work to recover to last years beauty but it will come. 
Words from JL 
Beautiful words! I love your gardening heart and how your words speak to our current situation too. “It will get better.” Thanks for the reminder.
Signs of life are all around us if we just look for them. One of the joys of rotating seasons is watching new growth come to life.
Beautiful words and pictures, with a message of hope. I saw the tiniest red tulip budding today on my walk. It was the loveliest sight I’ve seen in a long time.
Nature is a balm. How reassuring it is to notice the unaffected cycles of seasons carrying on around us through all of this human upheaval. Being in it is a good place to be, no doubt!