Notes on Spring

(when the world has frozen over)

On my birthday, I tell my husband that I can see the buds on the trees outside our window have popped and that I couldn’t ask for a better gift. I remark how surprising this is because it has been so cold, and he reminds me, the buds respond primarily to sunshine, not warmth.

In one way, this is extremely obvious grade 3 science, and in another, it is very enlightening. I think of the world right now. How frigid the global temperature has become, as so many countries continue to root themselves in fear, isolationism and bull-in-a-china-shop individualism, rather than cooperation and compassion.

I think of the sun and what it symbolizes, perhaps joy, perhaps kindness, perhaps brazen courage or authenticity. In times like this, we, the “little people” can still act from these places. And these small things that we can do, like helping a stranger, writing a poem, picking up garbage, standing in solidarity with someone…. these small acts shine a light.

Maybe we can’t change the global temperature right now, as much as many of us might want to. But we can’t let that stop us from shining a light on what still matters, and coaxing the world toward spring in every small way that we can.

How will you shine a light today?

xo,

Alex

PS: I took this photo late last spring. I hope you like it.