Spring Equinox Inspiration
Happy Spring Equinox!
For those who live in the Northern Hemisphere with me, today marks the transition to warmer weather, longer days, and a landscape in bloom. I live in a particularly cold pocket of Pennsylvania. While most of our winters present challenges, this year’s heavy snowfall and extremely cold temperatures put us through our paces. And as for all of the remote learning? It’s too soon for this beleaguered mom to talk about.
To say that I’m relieved by the sight of daffodils is an understatement.
But no matter where we live in the world, we can approach this day with a spirit of renewal. As Anita Krizzan famously wrote: “Spring will come and so will happiness. Hold on. Life will get warmer.”
Today, we acknowledge we’ve held on long enough, we’ve overcome, and we can let go now. We can relish the feeling of finally stepping into warmth and sunlight again. To celebrate, please check out some of these inspiring gems with me:
In the last reel he posted prior to his untimely death, actor James Van Der Beek shared his thoughts on making New Year’s Resolutions in spring instead of winter. I hope you’ll take a moment to watch it. I admire his wisdom on this point, and also his remarkable focus on our capacity for rebirth even as he was dying.
Poet Tess Taylor’s beautiful op-ed, “Why gardens and poems rhyme,” illuminates how deeply her lives as a gardener and a poet are entwined. For Taylor, one form of creativity feeds the other. Taylor acknowledges the health benefits baked into both endeavors as well. In this vein, you might also consider reading Rebecca Solnit’s powerful book, Orwell’s Roses. Solnit unpacks George Orwell’s life as a gardener and the outsize role it had in forming his political identity. I promise it’s worth your time.
Check out these beautiful poems on crocuses, daffodils, pansies, and tulips. Are they about flowers, or are they about what flowers can teach us? You decide.
I’ve been a fan of Maria Popova’s The Marginalian forever, but this essay on Georgia O’Keeffe’s artistic perspective is one of her best. O’Keeffe famously observed that: “Nobody sees a flower really; it is so small. We haven’t time, and to see takes time - like to have a friend takes time.” This essay teaches us a bit more how to take that time, for our flowers and friends alike.
I hope these writings inspire you as you embark on a new season, no matter what that season might be. If you have your own favorite book or poem or piece of music that heralds spring for you, please send it my way. Cheers to new beginnings, friends!
