Its been 18 years since the nesting boxes in the backyard were put up. I like to think of them as our B&B's for the birds. It is my job as caretaker to tend to these little establishments during nesting season.

This is the first spring that I can ever remember checking the boxes and finding dead birds inside. Twice, there were tree swallows huddled up in a corner of the box; frozen solid. They must have flown into the box for shelter and when temperatures dipped too low they froze.

I carefully remove the birds with the garden trowel, whisper a prayer and tuck them into the soft earth under the honeysuckle bush.

The honeysuckle was crushed a few years ago when a nearby pine tree came crashing down and toppled it over. Miraculously, it still blooms. It seems appropriate to bury the birds where life has been resurrected.

If you have just been through a major transition, whether difficult or exciting, you may also be feeling very fragile. This is the time for extra rest, good nourishment, patience and

lots of support. Change takes a lot of energy and you can easily get rundown if you don't balance it's many demands.

Where in your life do you need to pay some attention and provide yourself with some extra self-care? Perhaps you have been neglecting some area of your physical, emotional or spiritual health because you have been too busy or too tired.

Remember the transition from one season to the next can also be demanding on our immune systems as our bodies adapt to the changes in activities, foods and fluctuating temperatures. The excitement to keep up with the pace of spring can result in "over-doing."

This spring, schedule some time to tend to your self. Write it in your calendar (in ink!) so that you can't erase it.

Resurrect yourself. The season to bloom is now.

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