Spring

Here in the New Yawk area (Monmouth County: technically the mid-Atlantic, mid-Northeast, sort-of-Coastline), the weekend brought temperatures in the 60's and flirtings with the Summer season.  And as the calendar pages flip past, spurred on by the warming of a higher sun and longer periods of daylight, the promise of newness is in the air.  Forsythia have exploded with their brilliant burst of yellow - seemingly overnight; daffodils have pushed through the frozen earth and are coming out in tufts on the fringes of yards - trumpeting the ensuing warmth; and plump buds are amassing on the tips of tree branches - poised to unfurl their blossoms and leaves.  Even the approach of various seasonal holidays signal the end of the doldrums of winter and the renewal of another year.

2019 is stacking up as a period of first-year anniversaries for me.  January was the first full year since my stem cell transplant.  April is about the time last year when I was finally able to go back out into humankind again - as in back to work.  And May will commemorate the year that has transpired since I took my first business trip; grounded from the day of my diagnosis.

So after about a year, and during this time of year, it's suiting that I should acknowledge the accomplishments of the past and the potential of the future.  I don't tend to look backwards in life, but we must understand what has transpired in order to learn from it and bring the best parts of said with us into the future.  Gaining from those challenges and experiences / being nurtured for whatever tomorrow may have in store for us. 

Renewal is inside of me

Renewal is ahead of me

Renewal is all around me