The daffodils that a previous owner planted at our house are starting to bloom, so that suggests that spring is coming.
At times, I marvel at the ability of perennial plants to come back year after year. A few years back, we had a paver patio installed, along with some drainage improvements added to our yard. That required a lot of the existing grass and plants to be manhandled. And yet, those daffodils still return each spring. And, they seem just as thickly placed as they were before any landscaping was done.
As I was pondering that ability they have, I realize it’s a bit like how I feel in this spring of 2023. At this time three years ago, everything was just starting to go into lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the time, none of us really knew how it might affect our lives. Would we get sick? Would we lose someone we loved? How would it affect our jobs? Our financial stability? Would the world come together and do better? Or, would we give in to our worst impulses as human beings?
I still don’t think all of those questions have been answered. We’ve seen some amazing, inspiring acts of heroism.
We’ve also seen a lot of people behave selfishly while treating those around them like shit. We’ve seen moments that made us feel like everything would be okay, and times that made me wonder if our species really deserved to survive.
And, sadly, the COVID-19 infections haven’t stopped. They have, perhaps, slowed in some places.
Overall, though, I feel like we just gave up on trying to protect ourselves and others from it and have attempted to return to “normal.” Which, frankly, was never really normal. Nor was it particularly healthy as a way to walk through the world.
I hope I’ve learned some lessons about myself and those I trust through the past three years. I hope it’s given me greater clarity on what actually matters and who I want to be as a person.
I found this image of flowers foregrounded against a mountain range eye-catching. It’s both uplifting, but also somewhat melancholy. Since that’s my mood as I write this, I thought it a fitting companion image.
May your day go well, and you have a fantastic week. Thanks for reading my blog.
Photo by Luke Tanis on Unsplash
Ruth F. Simon 