Spring has arrived, the clocks have gone forward and in the northern hemisphere the days are lengthening. But what an unfamiliar world we find ourselves in. With words like ‘isolation’, ‘social distancing’ and ‘vulnerable persons’ on everyone’s lips it is a spring like no other.
We find our movements restricted, the survival of jobs threatened, supplies limited. It is indeed a strange time. Often difficult conditions like these can bring out the best in people – we’ve seen volunteer groups set up, communities pulling together and neighbours helping out and keeping an eye open for those in need. For the most part this is cheering – maybe when the current peril is past we’ll be a kinder and more caring society.
But the end of this so-called ‘lock down’ is not just yet. We have to find ways to remain optimistic – not always easy if lifestyles and livelihoods are threatened. It is at times like these that we need even more to value simple things and this beautiful season of growth and awakening from winter slumber can provide some signs of cheer for the future.
If you can get out for a walk or into a garden – enjoy it. Listen to the birdsong and the buzz of insects, feel the breeze on your skin and the warmth of the sun, look to the blue sky and enjoy what is around you.
Blackthorn is in full flower now – its abundance clothes the hedgerows with foaming white flowers looking for all the world like a sudden eiderdown covering of snow. Indeed, the phrase ‘blackthorn winter’ stems from the frequent spells of cold weather that suddenly surprise us in the early days of April.
As the sun returns the spring bulbs are really coming into their own whether in pots or in the wild. This strange spring is a time of new growth, new opportunities, new ways of living and coping with a challenging situation. It will pass…
