By late March, it looks, smells and sounds like spring across most of the U.S. Early flowers are blooming, the lawns are greening, the soil is thawing, birdsong is exploding and new leaves spread across the shrub lines. But this year, a cloud hangs above nature's beauty, diminishing our appreciation for the season.
The coronavirus pandemic, threatening communities across the globe, occupies our attention, keeping many of us indoors. The joys of spring, from gardening to baseball, have been placed on hold and the social gatherings that usually characterize the season have been banned. Our focus is not on the new life of spring but on potential illness and death and how we might best prevent them.
Yet, one need only gaze out the window to be reminded that spring is the season of hope and renewal. We witness the resilience of life, having survived the dark, cold months of winter to reclaim the landscape. While our personal winter may last for a few more weeks or months, we can escape to nature's spring and should do so at every opportunity, whether in our own backyard or at a nearby refuge. Nature's therapeutic effects are universal.
The coronavirus pandemic, threatening communities across the globe, occupies our attention, keeping many of us indoors. The joys of spring, from gardening to baseball, have been placed on hold and the social gatherings that usually characterize the season have been banned. Our focus is not on the new life of spring but on potential illness and death and how we might best prevent them.
Yet, one need only gaze out the window to be reminded that spring is the season of hope and renewal. We witness the resilience of life, having survived the dark, cold months of winter to reclaim the landscape. While our personal winter may last for a few more weeks or months, we can escape to nature's spring and should do so at every opportunity, whether in our own backyard or at a nearby refuge. Nature's therapeutic effects are universal.
