For glad Spring has begun,
And to the ardent sun
The earth, long time so bleak,
Turns a frost-bitten cheek.
– Celia Thaxter, American poet

For the first time in almost a week, we’re witnessing the emergence of spring.  The sun is shining brightly, the birds are chirping and the temperature has dropped 20 degrees from yesterday. The pollen and mold are evident as we walk out our doors, though we can’t interact with others due to our enforced social distancing.  Still the sun is up.  The sky is blue and I saw a robin bobbing along my backyard.

This has been an unusual first quarter of this new decade.  We’ve endured impeachment hearings, political debating, mudslinging and now a pandemic which has brought life to a halt for so many.  I wonder what the rest of the year has in store for us.  We have time to contemplate now – time to think about relationships, which are now proving to be distant.  We’re resorting to more screen time – both on the internet or in front of the television.  We have even become expert crossword puzzle solvers, board game players, innovative and entrepreneurial.  It’s like the days of yore when folks had to focus on the important things in life – like family, friendship, helping others, using our brains, church and gatherings of any sort.  Still, the sun is shining and it’s spring.

This being the first full day of this season of new life can be celebrated in a number of ways – even though we can’t intermingle.  We can take a drive and revel in the wildlife of nature or witness the budding trees and flowing maple syrup sap.  We can take a sketchbook and pencil along and create some art.  Pull out our camera and use this extra time to photograph the beauty of nature. We can write words suitable for the setting.  Even though we can’t gather, we have a support network on social media.  Keeping in touch with groups of friends doesn’t have to be in person. Maybe letter writing will come back in style.  It is the first full day of spring and the sun is shining.

Minnesotans thrive on even an hour of sunshine.  Because of our lack of it during the winter months, we often suffer from Vitamin D deficiency.  We become gloomy because our world outside is a patchwork of fifty or so shades of grey.  Things are beginning to turn green again, even though some snow is predicted.  At this time of the year, we know it won’t last because it’s spring and the sun is shining.