Spring: A Universal Beginning

It doesn’t quite feel like spring in Virginia yet. If anything, it still feels like fall. We had a glimpse of sunshine, but now the skies are gray again. Still, I’m holding onto optimism. I know the warmth and light will return soon. Something is comforting in that, knowing the shift is coming, even if it hasn’t fully arrived.

I’m already looking forward to the small rituals that come with it, bringing out my spring wardrobe, putting away the heaviness of winter, and stepping into something lighter, softer.

Spring is a season of quiet transformation. All around us, things begin to rise, plants pushing through the soil, trees budding, fruits and vegetables starting their cycle. Even the smallest signs of growth feel meaningful. Watching something grow, slowly and steadily, is a reminder that change doesn’t have to be rushed to be real. Even inside our homes, you can feel it. Houseplants reach for more light, their greens deepen, and they ask for more water. I always place mine near the window and sometimes play music for them. I like to believe they feel it too.

And then there are the animals, spring brings new life in the most literal way. Baby chicks, lambs, horses. My dad recently sent me a picture of baby goats. One of the mamas, Melly, had two. Something about that kind of newness feels especially tender, like the world is softening again. Spring is, at its core, a reminder of new beginnings.

What I find especially beautiful is how this idea shows up across different cultures and traditions. For Catholics, this season holds Lent leading into Easter. A time of reflection, sacrifice, and renewal. For Muslims, Ramadan often falls around this time as well, a period of discipline, faith, and spiritual reset. Even the Lunar New Year, depending on the year, falls near this season, marking another beginning: Different beliefs, different practices, but a shared rhythm.

It made me realize how many of our traditions, in one way or another, align with this idea of starting again. Of resetting. Of becoming something new. And maybe that’s what spring is really inviting us into.

Whether you follow a specific faith or not, this season offers a quiet opportunity to begin again, to start something you’ve been putting off, or to return to something that matters.

A new beginning doesn’t always have to be big. Sometimes it’s as simple as stepping outside, feeling the sun on your face, and deciding that you’re ready for something new.

And maybe… that’s enough.

I would love to hear everyone's favorite spring activities?