A Breath of Fresh Air

It’s pretty typical of this time of year, that we would be anxious to be outside; craving fresh air, the sun on our faces, the sand beneath our feet, and the wind in our hair. It’s a common sentiment, especially for those of us who live in a temperate climate and enjoy the changing of the seasons, to be ready for winter, or even spring at this point, to be over with. We’re ready to move on and be done with it.

Add to that the singular oddity of the past few months, and people are quite literally stir crazy—ready for big changes and hungry for new flavors. And so it is with us, as we get ready to embrace our new normal, we leave our caves and stand blinking in the light, wondering what it is out there for us to see and experience.

Spring is always about discovering new life, leaving behind the doldrums of winter and getting excited about the summer colors shimmering on the horizon. It’s a good time of year to be looking ahead. There will be abundant time, in the not too distant future, to look back on it all and reflect. But for now we open up the doors and windows, let in the fresh air, and imagine a new world with bright colors and endless possibilities.

This summer will be a great time for change as persistent obstacles always result in creative innovation. When you meet the immovable object, you find a new path around. It will be exciting to see and be a part of, as we navigate new social norms and physical limitations. There will be those who view it negatively and those who ignore it entirely, but for some of us, it will be a playground of hope and wonder.

For now we will shake out our beach bags, compile our summer reading lists, search for new recipes to try, pick fresh produce, discover new flavors, try new things, take walks, listen for the birds and watch for shooting stars. There is inspiration in all of it, and somewhere, something is going to click and we will think of a solution for a problem we didn’t even know we had a few months ago.

There is always hope in discovery. It has a fresh smell, like honeysuckle on a warm June night. You just have to remember to open your mind and let the fresh ideas float in.