Spring is about growth. It’s full of religious celebrations that predate paper: Passover, Easter, Holi, the Spring Equinox, Makha Bukha, Bahá’í New Year, and many more.

For me, spring is also about children. It’s about egg hunts — a leftover from BCE (Before Christian Era) — and candy in baskets and new clothes. As a child, it also was about the dyed chicks & ducklings & bunnies that cuddled at feed stores & even dime store fronts, ready to grace a child’s basket Sunday morning.

We don’t do Easter baskets any more — my sons live thousands of miles west, and my grand-nieces & grand-nephew are busy at their besotted aunt’s. But today, when I came in to my desk to write, a totally romantic Easter cup awaited me. Brimming with the neon green ‘grass’ we all remember, in which nestled dark chocolate eggs & a hand-painted Canadian coin, complete with bee. I have the BEST husband… 🙂

For a brief moment, I was 6 years old. My Aunt Carol had bought me a chocolate egg, and my Aunt Joyce had taken me to see coloured ducklings. I had a new dress, shiny patent shoes, and a pastel basket. Warm spring sunlight was no brighter than my bliss.

I hope today brings you similar sweet surprises, and the love of those around you. And the happy faces of children under budding trees, standing beneath bright blue sky. It’s spring.