One moment, the Earth is in the fierce grip of winter, and the next, thawing soil and new green prevail. The month of March is a time of both sudden snow squalls and unexpected, delicate sunlight. We are in that liminal space of uncertainty, half-cloaked in weariness, yet filled with flowering hope, when natural forces seem to articulate the ineffable quality of being human.

Nature outgrows uncertainties with awkward grace, succumbing to unspoken burdens, every now and then exhaling with a good storm that rattles the windows and the bones. In our folklore, nature is a mother—a woman that mourns her daughter’s departure in winter and rejoices her return in spring. Like Demeter of Greek mythology, we embody the seasons, but it is not always easy to accept our March phases, when we cannot make up our minds about who we are, what we want or which face we wish to show the world.

The world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, and a few inspiring names come to mind, including poet Maya Angelou, activists Rosa Parks and Malala Yousafzai, aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, media mogul Oprah Winfrey and marine conservationist Rachel Carson. Humbler, but equally impactful ladies also deserve our recognition, including our grandmothers and mothers that ran the house with lively aplomb, or our aunts and older sisters that offered crucial advice for our first school dance. We also recall and honor the women we lost too soon—girlfriends that moved far away, co-workers that succumbed to COVID-19 and mothers we lost to cancer. We may even mourn our younger selves and the innocence of yesteryear.

March whispers, “It’s okay. Soften, and allow for all your humanness.” She teaches us a lot, if we listen. This month, be inspired to:

 •   Laugh at yourself and embrace imperfections.

•   Display fresh flowers around the house.

•   Thank the women in your life for their unique gifts.

Marlaina Donato is an author, painter and composer. Connect at WildflowersAndWoodSmoke.com.

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