After several pleasant days in the mid- to upper-fifties, and one in the sunny mid-sixties, it is cold again here in New York. An inch of snow may arrive by Friday. The coming of Spring reminds me of a labyrinth walk. There’s a point at the beginning of the walking meditation on the labyrinth modeled after the one at Chartres, where you walk very near the center. You feel close to a “destination.” You are virtually–and happily–there. But then, the walk swings wide to the outside. You realize you are so far away from where you’re “headed” that your mind chatters: “Oh, all is lost. I’ll never get to where I want to be.” And you hadn’t even realized that you wanted to get anywhere as badly as you apparently do! You’re just walking, after all. You’re not supposed to worry about where you end up. That’s the meditation.

With this weather, it’s the same thing. I know that the real Spring will come but that it needs more time to gather its strength, and I must walk on, gathering patience.

Here’s an online labyrinth you can actually “walk” with your computer’s cursor if you want to experience what I’m describing.