Snowdrops

Snowdrops have appeared, pushing up out of the brittle brown leaves in my neighbor's side yard. I crouched down to admire them. Their little heads are bent, but they don't look downcast or embarrassed. They look determined, like a crowd of commuters marching off to work, headed into a cold wind. Each one wears a snug green cap and a tiny mark that looks a lot like a green version of the pink breast cancer awareness ribbon that we see so often. What is their green ribbon cause? Maybe only to give us a moment of unexpected joy and to remind us that eventually it will be spring.