Over the last week, I have watched Spring slowly climb up the mountain and finally arrive to where I am at an altitude of around 2200 feet. After living for a while in Colorado a number of years ago, I know this is a piddly altitude compared to the Rockies, but in the ancient Appalachian mountains of western North Carolina, it is a respectful distance.

In the forest that surrounds me, wild dogwoods are just now leafing out, as well as zillions of deciduous trees: oaks, poplars, birch, et al. The light green and golds of new growth are everywhere. Spring is the ultimate in resilience.

One of the things we can count on in life is that spring returns every year, even after the hardest of winters. This virus, too, shall pass. It won’t last forever, even though it feels like it will sometimes. And though we are in a season of viral chaos that we didn’t anticipate, it is one that will ultimately fade and become a part of history. Hopefully, afterwards, we will be stronger. Braver. More resilient.

Seasons can happen inside of us, too. We can go through periods that feel like hibernation, where seemingly nothing much is happening in our lives. Or times that feel like high summer, where we reap the harvest of what we sowed throughout the rest of the year.

Spring, however, is a time of new growth. It involves budding. Tender shoots breaking through the ground. Is there something new and tender growing in your life? A project you didn’t have time for until now? Solitude? A hobby that you have taken to a new level? A new online friendship?

Find a bit of nature to celebrate today. Find a tree to appreciate or something beautiful outside that is blooming. Offer your gratitude.

As always, I welcome your thoughts.

Love,
Susan

P.S. Happy Birthday to my wonderful friend, Kristin, who lives on a nearby mountaintop, where Spring is due to arrive any minute.

(Photo by Masaaki Komori)

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Note to newcomers: I love my reader community here, so I am posting something uplifting on this blog and also on my facebook page every day at 4 pm (Eastern) until we get through the Covid-19 crisis. See yesterday’s post here.

Read yesterday’s post here.