Tuesday, March 16, 2021

 

Marching On!

by Saralyn Richard

 



March is such a brave month! It begins with winds, sometimes with the harshness of winter, and it ends with the first signs of spring. This week, in particular, offers opportunities to acknowledge and celebrate cultural traditions. Sunday was “Pi Day,” Monday was “The Ides of March,” and tomorrow is “St. Patrick’s Day.”

March, for me, is the green month, so today I want to talk about how the green of nature speaks to me as a writer.

A couple of weeks ago, my world was shaken by an unusual natural phenomenon, the Texas Freeze. Many were the hardships from a week of frozen temperatures, lack of power, lack of water, broken pipes, caved-in ceilings, and more. I lived in Chicago for many brutal winters, but Chicago is prepared—homes are better insulated, vegetation is not as delicate—and I never experienced a disaster like this one.

I’d wrapped plants and tree trunks in sheets, towels, and prayers. After everything thawed, and the temperatures returned to normal, between 60 and 70 degrees, it was time to assess the damage. Here are a few sad horticultural photos. There are many of these beloved plants and trees in my yard, some I planted from seeds and have nurtured for years. I’ve fed and watered them, pruned them, enjoyed their fruits.

 





As a writer, I can’t help finding the metaphor. Sometimes, after careful creativity, production, revision, and planning, we put a new novel out into the world. It flourishes and stands as a thing of beauty for all to enjoy. It provides delicious fruit to please and sustain. And, without warning, something unexpected comes along to knock it down. A biting review, a competition lost, canceled launch events, a pandemic. Any of these can and do discourage us, as authors.



 

But the month of March teaches us patience and resilience. It teaches us hopefulness. The green buds of March, and the saucy flowers of the azalea remind me that nature destroys, but nature also heals. That same ebb and flow exists in the life of a book. A book club meeting can spark new interest in a backlisted book. A sterling review from a respected source can make an author’s heart sing. And there are always more contests and online activities galore.

This year, St. Patrick’s Day will give me more reason to celebrate the green. I’m more resolved than ever to March on!

How will you celebrate the green this year?

 

 

7 comments:

  1. Love your metaphor comparing winter merging into spring and putting a novel into the world. Bring on the green!

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  2. Thanks, Donnell. What would we do without metaphors?

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  3. What a lovely, heartfelt post, Saralyn. Beautifully said. I like March better now :)

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    1. Thank you, Barbara. Just think green and march on with me!

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  4. Those buds and bright azaleas made it through, and so have you. Lovely post, Saralyn.

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  5. Lovely thoughts, Saralyn. Thank you!

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