Invitation to Dormancy

At first glance death and dormancy appear all too similar. Bare vines. Desolate earth. Leafless branches silhouetting the sky. Grey, brown, and black. Outward decay. But they are not the same. What is the distinguishing feature?

Hope. Belief in a future.

The dormant draw in energy, prune the unnecessary, let go to the old, and prepare for the new. What was needed last season may be burdensome in the one to come. As circumstances around us force an inward turn, consider accepting nature's invitation to dormancy. Withdraw, savor, rest, shabbat. Reevaluate, equip, make ready. Imperceptible to the naked eye, dormant life rests patiently. Awaiting the cue:

Arise and bloom.

When this unusual season turns, may we too blossom and unfurl as new life springs forth.