Happy Spring, Ya’ll — by Chi Lin

Members and Supporters and Everyone in Between,

I hope everyone has had a great April!

Personally, this is my favorite month of the year (for a lot of reasons, not just because it’s my birthday month, although obviously because of that, too). April is our first full month of spring. Potential hangs in the air. We all emerge from our winter slumbers and shake off the cold – it’s a time for rebirth, for shedding the weight of the snow and heavy sweaters and getting ready for what’s next.

Spring can be an uncomfortable time as well, though. It’s a period of change that can leave us wondering if we’ve really left the days of shivering and huddling together behind, or if this is just more of the same. Though summer is around the corner and plants are beginning to bud, we find ourselves swinging back and forth in the interim, shedding layers to welcome the heat only to wrap ourselves once again in familiar cocoons, shielding our faces from freezing rain and gusts of wind.

Change doesn’t always feel good. Even positive change seldom skirts growing pains. We often do whatever we can to avoid feelings of discomfort, even in the name of moving forward – after all, it can be painful to stretch sore muscles – but prolonging discomfort will only postpone relief.

This has been a crazy year. This past winter was long and dark. I would know, I spent most of it working outside. But life is colorful and vibrant, and times of darkness remind us how good the light is. Taking steps backwards (especially big ones), allows us to reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re going, so that as we continue to move forward we can make sure that we’re headed in the right direction.

Happy Spring, y’all. Warmer days are coming.

-Chi