22 March - Day 18 - A Kind Word is Like a Spring Day - proverb

The combination of a sign warning about ice and a bright blue sky seems at first very strange but then is perfectly reasonable when I think about the deep frost I woke to this morning. In many ways it is good not to think the winter is over as many of us have been caught out by planting seeds or casting a clout too early. But - even though my heated socks were pulled up tightly this morning and I certainly felt the cold against my face, I couldn’t help feeling better cycling in sunshine and looking around at the beautiful views. I want to believe spring is here, even if I also know winter is not over. The human spirit is an amazing survivor and in the same way we hold on to the thought of spring (even with warnings about ice), we also look forward to a time when restrictions are lifted, vaccines are effective and we can leave the waiting room, open the Centre fully and welcome family and friends back into the moments of our lives we want and need to share in person.

In the meantime, while we hold onto the promise of spring and see the sun shining out of our windows, let’s all aim to create spring days through the kind words we use. Or, at the very least, take the risk of ice away by thinking carefully about the impact of any negativity or pessimism on those around us. Spring days do last longer than cold winter ones and with the clocks changing next weekend, we can all have something, however small, to look forward to.