Every Spring I think about rebirth: flowers blooming, bees buzzing, music in the air and also noticing my neighbors’ dogs. Yet, in my new hometown of Denver, Colorado, Spring tends to ebb and flow just like the Atlantic Ocean on the coast of North Carolina. You see, one minute you are hiking in 70-degree weather and the next minute, you wake up to 3 inches of snow forcing all the rebirth to draw back to protect the fragileness of life. It is not a bad difference; it is just different.
Witnessing my new Spring in the shadows of the Rockies made me recall one of my favorite artists, Mike Buonarroti. Do you know him? Perhaps you know him as Michelangelo, the Italian sculptor and painter in the High Renaissance. His fingerprints are all over his country, Italy, leaving a perspective which is not always captured. Yet, it is bold and beautiful. Mike’s art lives on throughout the years. Seeing it in person will change the beat of your heart. Yet, his art in the Sistine chapel situated on the sky of the Vatican is not the reason behind my admiration toward him. What drew me to this famous artist is not his famous works. However, his work which is referred to as his “unfinished” is what caught my attention.
Have you seen it? The large block of marble is overwhelming. It is tall in stature, and without doubt the look and feel seems heavy. I’m not talking about heavy in terms of weight. I’m referring to the meaning which seemed to jump from the fine lines of sculpting. You will notice an arm emerging from the block which is almost struggling to free itself from its own birthplace. At another angle, a leg…the formation of a face, half a chest busting through, just like those flowers trying to bloom but resisting to protect itself from the cold, harsh unknown. Each of us is attempting to emerge from the ebb and flow of the new world which has been birthed into existence. Are we a reflection of the unfinished works which Mike sculpted so long ago? Another question: Are they unfinished or is this Mike’s way of capturing the human struggle to break free of our own fear to embrace living once again.
The rebirth brought about by this Spring appears to be different in so many ways. We, as humans, have an opportunity to rebirth our souls and hearts this year. The things which were not so important became important because they were prevented. For example, large concerts with friends, rushing to the bedside of our family members, facing the end of life, hugging someone in as a means to provide comfort, and most importantly – face to face CONNECTION. Did we learn the valuable lesson of connection throughout the last 18 months? Or will we enjoy it only for a minute just to be withdrawn into protecting our hearts from the unknown called LIFE.
There is a crossroad, a rebirth taking place, where each of us has a decision to make: Will we fall back into old patterns? Or have we learnt not to take things for granted? For me, I must admit, I hear the theme song of Mary Tyler Moore playing in my head. Remember it…. I’m starting to hum the chorus: “WE’RE GOING TO MAKE AFTER ALL.”
As Mary tosses her hat up in the air, I can see myself tossing up my face mask with a mischievous smile while knowing that I’ve been given another opportunity to live my life around what matters most. What will we do with this opportunity?
Personally, I don’t plan to waste it.