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Hopefully the allergy season will end shortly, as the mild winter has made for an incredible outburst of pollen.  We did our usual spring planting, primarily herbs, replacing those that did not survive the winter, and a small assortment of flowers. It really doesn’t matter what flowers we buy, as the deer will eat them, even showing the temerity to climb our front steps to nibble on plants on the front porch. I sprinkle the organic deer repellent and they laugh at me. My bird feeder has turned into a deer feeder. Wildflowers especially marked deer-proof have proven not to be. Lavender seems to be successful as well as aromatic, savory herbs such as rosemary, sage and thyme. Parsley and dill, if not eaten by the deer, get eaten by the groundhogs. The mulberry tree has begun dropping dozens of mulberries every day. They are rather tasty, be it in a fruit salad or on top on cereal, but they are rather messy, especially when they splatter on your clothing.

Yet despite the challenges of the Spring season, it is one of the joys of living in a climate where there are four distinctive seasons. Managing through the Winter to enjoy the rush of color in the Spring is truly wondrous, providing an uplift in so many ways. And now with the arrival of Memorial Day, outdoor activities abound. There is not a day nor weekend where some outdoor activity cannot be found, be it a fair, carnival, farmer’s market, concert, or display. That means it also marks the return of our Friday evening services in the Biblical Garden, a beautiful oasis amidst the noise of the city that serves as a perfect backdrop to welcome Shabbat. I can imagine being in the Garden of Eden sometimes, especially when there is no sound other than birds chirping. Last year there was a Bird of Paradise plant that blossomed more than once, providing such beauty behind where I stood to lead services.

All of these stand as a stark reminder that the earth’s orbit around the sun and the angle of the sun itself, the flowering return of Spring, and the chirping of songbirds are not mere coincidences. There has to have been some cosmic plan, some organizational structure that provides this regularity to our lives. And that is God. The world and all it contains was created for the enjoyment of humanity. While I’ve written before about our less than favorable response to God’s gifts, today is about gratitude for them. Whether it is the blossoming of roses before the deer eat them, the fragrant smells in the air, or the abundant beauty around us, we should take time not only to smell the flowers, but to say thank you to God for these gifts, and our ability to sense and appreciate them. For those who will be travelling, gratitude to God to be able to travel and witness the beautiful sites wherever you might be should be a part of the experience. One does not have to be a skilled liturgist to just pause for a moment, take it in, and utter three simple words: Thank You God. Humans may have been involved in some way, but in the end, God is the Source of all Blessing. Including God in our appreciation is a way to not only express gratitude, but to recognize that there is a power far greater than us that has blessed us with these things that delight our senses. And for that, we should be ever grateful. Thank You God.