Spring reminds us of renewal at the end of winter agony.

Now is the time we look forward to the change in nature, a blooming and thawing of the human spirit; longer days with a warming of the heart.

We are reminded of the metaphor of spring in classic tales such as the opera La Bohème. Even if it’s going to be your last year of life you look forward to feeling the warming of the bones, especially if you’re suffering from a chronic illness, albeit consumption from tuberculosis or the modern-day equivalent of wasting illness that is more often cancer.

We escape darkened homes to join the outdoor festival of the living, with the plants and pets and people, searching out sun-drenched paths with fragrant blossoms and singing birds, enchanted by the warming breeze and seasonal optimism.

Though we are saddened by our losses—the friends and family that should be out there enjoying the day with us, new life forms take their place: young children, puppies and their proud owners, new faces playing ball, cycling, running, even the elderly who still have a chance for renewal, those nearing the end of life looking forward to the joy of one more summer, not to mention the squirrels that would be chased by my deceased dog, who should be out there enjoying the spring with the best of them.

If you only had only one last day or a million, what could be better than spending part of it during a beautiful spring afternoon, walking through a park?

© Richie Smith