Never have I experienced a springtime as unusual as this one. While we’ve all had some downtime to observe the unique sights, sounds and scents of spring in our small corner of the world, we’re also giving thought to how we continue to keep ourselves and our businesses vibrant in a time of great uncertainty. I’ve never seen so much creativity and resolve to soldier on under difficult circumstances, to lend a helping hand where it’s needed and to find quiet pleasures in everyday life.
Yep ... I’ve had more than my normal share of quiet time lately to ponder life’s ironies. We’re trying to maintain social distance, yet still working to maintain social connections. We’re trying to stay in, while still striving to get out into fresh air and sunshine. We’re trying to stock all the daily supplies we need, while making sure we leave enough to keep others supplied as well.
I began this season as always, delighted by daffodils. I simply adore those cheerful harbingers of spring — planted in mass beds or in smaller bunches within a landscape. But I’m particularly charmed by those random patches of daffodils which seem to appear in the middle of nowhere — by the side of the interstate, near the woods’ edge along a country road, beside a hiking trail or even alongside a strip mall parking lot. How in the world did they get there?
I did some “digging” and found out that while daffodils can self-seed, it usually takes a determined gardener and about five years to produce a bloom. So I like to imagine that those patches of daffodils were planted by human hands long ago when the land looked very different. I dream up images of those bygone gardeners who, with great care and optimism, placed their daffodil bulbs in the perfect spots to highlight a driveway, a front porch or a garden path.
But time marched on and so did those long-ago gardeners. Progress moved in; land changed hands; roads were built and widened; shops, stores and parking lots showed up. And yet, those arbitrary plots of daffodils stubbornly refused to go away. They persevered. Year after year, in spite of wind, weather and benign neglect, those tough little wildlings pushed their brave faces through the frosty soil to greet the springtime sun.
What could be more encouraging than that? Their presence never fails to put a smile on my face. As we’re negotiating the complexities of our time, let’s make sure to appreciate life’s unexpected gifts of grace. Let’s be more like daffodils and thrive where we’re
planted!
In the meantime, while you’re planning your great escape, be sure to consult this issue of The House & Home Magazine — we’re focusing on fresh air and good health. We highlight the many pleasures to be found in Middlesex County, and we look to the open road with a story about motorcycles. We celebrate brisk breezes with an article about windmills. We present to you some articles with recipes to help you live to be 100 and recipes to make you feel like a healthy gourmet. We’re also investigating the recent buzz about hemp farming. Come along with us on our journey through a different sort of spring and read on!