Crocuses reward walkCOFFEE WITH WARREN, with Warren Harbeck |
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Crocuses along Bow River trail in Cochrane radiate springtime hope and joy. Photo by Judith Sikorski There they were, just as one of our Cochrane readers hoped. They were rising from winter’s bed and reaching skyward in the joy of spring, radiating hope and happiness. Crocuses, of course! West Terrace resident Judith Sikorski only had to walk a block from her home to the trail along the Bow River the other day to encounter her first patch of crocuses of the season. “I am so drawn to the crocus,” Judy says. “I am lucky that they are just a hop, skip and a jump from my house. Their resurrection in the spring brings renewal and light to my world!” Resurrection? Yes, crocuses are known as the Resurrection Flower; they bloom within days of Easter. And just as Judy says, that is all about hope and joy. The crocus is a harbinger of spring symbolizing the triumph of life over death. Its eagerly awaited emergence from its snowy tomb is a cause for joy throughout our winter-weary land. In addition to the wisdom Judy finds in these delightful blossoms, crocuses are also about endurance, in the mind of Stoney Nakoda Elder Tina Poucette Fox of Morley. She speaks of what it was like being the first woman elected to the otherwise all-male Band Council many years ago. The old-boys club set about attacking her over her demands for greater accountability in council affairs. Her response was inspired by a crocus growing near her home. A spring knoll was resplendent with crocuses, she says, but one was more beautiful than all the rest. This particular crocus was growing right through the middle of a cow pie. And here is where she saw the wisdom of the crocus responding to the traumatic experiences of both the Band Council and the Residential School. Like that crocus, “when they were dumping on me, they were just making me all the more beautiful!” That’s exactly what Elder Tina is: beautiful – beautiful in giving expression to the virtues of endurance and rising above bitterness – all in the spirit of forgiveness. Which brings us back to Judy’s reference to the crocus as the Resurrection Flower. Thanks for sharing your photo, Judy, and for reminding us of its wisdom of hope and joy, and Elder Tina’s lessons of endurance and forgiveness.
© 2022 Warren Harbeck |