50+ Lifestyles

Hope Springs Eternal

By Mary Schricker Gemberling

“Where flowers bloom so does hope.”
                                … Lady Bird Johnson

I try to avoid the subject of religion in my writing, but I am writing today on the heels of Easter, the sermon of which is the inspiration for this month’s article.

In the difficult and often confusing world in which we live today, hope, for many people, is something that seems to be in short supply. There is no greater example of a transfusion of hope than the Easter story. The message of absolute acceptance and forgiveness reaches out to all.

Believers and nonbelievers cannot ignore that there is something magnificent, therapeutic and reassuring about the Resurrection. On our way to Church Sunday Gary and I talked about the greening of the grass and the buds sprouting on the flowering trees. Following the same route home it occurred to me that the message of “Hope” I had just heard was all around me in the signs of spring; in the buds on the trees, the warmth of the sun and the sounds of the chirping birds. Just like hope, the season of spring holds a promise that change is coming for the better. Spring means longer days, warmer temperatures and rebirth after the long death of winter.

In his Memoir, A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway writes,”But you knew there would always be spring, as you knew the river would flow again after it was frozen.”

Even though we know that spring will come our impatience lingers, and when it is finally and consistently present we embrace it like an old friend. We find familiarity in the spring showers, vibrant flowers, warmer temperatures and open windows. It is time again for fresh mowed grass, road trips, outdoor games, and barbecues.

There is even some science to the joy of spring. Research suggest that for many people, the extended daylight boosts mood and energy. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with attention, motivation, and pleasure, seems to increase with more exposure to sunlight. During spring the amount of fresh oxygen available is exceptionally high. Moreover, spring provides an abundance of sunshine and Vitamin D which is essential for healthy skin.

In spring we have a tendency to eat healthier with vitamin rich seasonal choices. The comfort foods of winter are replaced with grilled meat and fresh vegetables. A walk, run, or bike ride or or even competitive outdoor sports can take the place of that time consuming visit to the gym. The heavy coats are put away in favor of light jackets, shorts and t-shirts. Life is just easy and simpler!

The season nudges us to the outdoors. In her diary Anne Frank advised those who could, to “Go outside, to the country, enjoy the sun and all nature has to offer. Go outside and try to recapture the happiness within yourself; think of all the beauty in yourself and in everything around you and be happy.”

Spring does bring joy and happiness to our hearts. It is a time that is associated with love, hope, youth and growth. It is the season of festivals and weddings. It is Easter, Memorial Day, May Day, Cinco De Mayo, the Kentucky Derby, and Mother’s Day. Spring is a perennial display of resiliency. It is a subject of countless films, novels, and poems. Surely spring is the most anticipated, exciting, and blessed season of the year.

“Spring is an experience in immortality”, observed Henry David Thoreau, He believed you could measure the state of your health by your response to spring. He said that if the prospect of an early morning walk in the sunshine and warbling of a bluebird did not thrill you, you should check your pulse.

Mary, a former educator and Seniors Real Estate Specialist, is the author of four books: The West End Kid, Labor of Love; My Personal Journey through the World of Caregiving, Hotel Blackhawk; A Century of Elegance, and United Ebenezer Methodist Church: 150 Years of Resiliency.