Renewal and Hope

All things seem possible in the spring. The world is flush with beginnings even as we shiver in heavy coats, marveling as the crocus and daffodils poke through a crust of snow. As the blossoms of April and May arrive I once again find myself filled with hope and renewal that only spring can offer.

This afternoon we’ll attend the wedding of a bride we’ve known since her birth. As neighbors, we witnessed her arrival home from the hospital in the arms of her proud father. Today in an outdoor ceremony he’ll walk her down the aisle under a canopy of budding trees to exchange vows. Renewal and hope for the future.

In three weeks our first grandchild will graduate from college. Hooray! A campus visit to Cambridge, MA sealed the deal for her next step to law school. Papers were signed and a sweatshirt purchased. Off you go, Elizabeth! Renewal and hope for the future.

Dick and I finalized plans for a Rhine River Cruise in late summer. If anything represents hope for the future, this does! Hope that all our body parts keep functioning for said cruise, hope our passports are returned in time, hope that nothing interferes with our best laid plans–you get the picture.

At the beginning of Marcello’s Promise is a quote I love. It captures the spirit of pilgrims and adventurers in the springtime of their lives.

“Throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor.

Catch the trade winds in your sail. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Depending on many variables such as age or demands of career and family, we may be more reluctant to throw off the bow lines than we once were. The challenge is there in whatever situation we find ourselves. But even more important is realizing renewal and hope in our lives. May your spring be filled with that.

Until next time . . .