Resilience of Spring

Spring in the Midwest is a masterclass in unpredictability. The calendar may declare its arrival, and the thermometer may tease us with a fleeting 60-degree day, but Mother Nature has her own agenda. One moment, the sun coaxes delicate buds from the earth, and the next, an Arctic wind snaps through the air, cutting to the bone. The sky darkens, the temperature plummets, and those early sprouts shrink back in retreat. Even the ladybugs—fooled by a false promise of warmth—scatter indoors, seeking shelter from a season that isn’t quite ready to commit.

Yet, amid the uncertainty, there’s something remarkable about those first signs of life. Against all odds, shoots push through the frost-hardened soil, and fresh green replaces the dull, lifeless brown. It takes resilience—deep, unshakable roots—to survive winter’s brutality and rise again, stronger than before.

This year, much like the season, hasn’t unfolded the way I imagined. It didn’t begin with the energy, optimism, or promise I had envisioned. Instead, it brought heartbreak, loss, and a landscape that felt barren and unyielding. For a while, it seemed as though nothing would bloom. But even in the midst of sorrow, I refused to let the darkness take root. Slowly, I have worked to redirect, to refocus, to reclaim the light. And deep within, I know—beneath the weight of winter, my green has never disappeared. The seeds of hope, resilience, and possibility were planted long ago. They have been nurtured. Now, it is time to let the sun do its work—to feed my spirit so I may bloom, bearing beauty and abundance with the changing season.

Life will prune us. Sometimes, it will cut us back so severely that we feel stripped bare, buried in darkness, unseen. But that is not the end of the story. The soil holds nutrients; the roots remember their strength. In these hidden seasons, we learn, we adapt, we prepare. And when we emerge—because we will emerge—it is with deeper wisdom, greater endurance, and an unshakable will to grow.

Is it easy? No. But it is possible. It is necessary. It is who we are.

Resilient. Unstoppable. Rooted in strength, destined to rise.