“Desert Wind”

         There is a quote from William Arthur Ward that goes, “The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” I have been thinking about that quotation during these last few weeks because the desert winds seem especially early and hard this year.

         When my husband and I first moved to New Mexico we didn’t know anything about the canyon winds in spring. We had heard about the summer monsoons, the crisp autumn evenings; we had been here and experienced for ourselves the mild and sunny winters. Neither of us, however, was familiar with the afternoon winds that can blow from March to June in the southwestern desert. We now know what spring means and we also know several friends who leave the area during these months because it’s true, at times it can feel overwhelming.

         Blowing dust is a huge consequence from the wind and it covers everything from outdoor furniture to tops of cars and even gets inside a house, adding an extra layer of dirt that has to be swept and mopped quite often. Some things have to be tied down or moved indoors and a person can often look out their back door and see things in their yard that weren’t there the day before. The wind can displace and shift everything.

         Even knowing the damage that comes in high winds, the truth is that I don’t mind them so much and it isn’t because I’m a true optimist, expecting them to change or even that I’m a realist and will adjust my sails accordingly. Rather, I enjoy the spring winds simply because I feel as if something comes riding in on them. I imagine that aspects of my life are moving in and some aspects of it are moving out. Something is being blown away and perhaps that is so something else can make its arrival.

         I’m fortunate, of course, because I don’t suffer from allergies. I don’t get sick as the pollen gets a good stir, making life miserable for so many. I know, therefore, I speak from a place of privilege when I say that I think a good shake-up is necessary from time to time, year to year. I know that for many folks the spring breezes mean sneezing, coughing and general malaise; but for me I imagine I’d grow very stale and dispassionate if there wasn’t a good stiff wind once in a while to pick things up and move them around. I believe my life is in need of a seasonal breeze.

         As the spring blows in quite heavy this year, I stand inside looking out from my safe spot through a window. Branches bend and snap, dirt swirls and lifts and I find myself wondering what shift is making its way in my direction. Of course, the optimist is right, the season will one day change; but for now, I must confess that I enjoy seeing everything set loose.

You are the light of the world!

Yours,

Lynne