Spring Hope and the Power of Connection

After months of frigid mornings and gray skies, there’s comfort in knowing brighter days are just ahead. When Daylight Saving Time arrives on March 8, evening light will linger a little longer, quietly inviting us back outside. Soon after, the first day of spring on March 20 will have us searching for snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils, and early tulips — gentle reminders that renewal rarely arrives all at once, but always arrives faithfully.

This year also brings a meaningful overlap in the calendar. Passover begins April 1, and Easter follows April 5 — two traditions, different in practice yet united in message: hope, freedom, rebirth, and light overcoming darkness. These shared themes echo something deeply human — a reminder that what we value is far more alike than different.

I felt that same sense of unity while watching the Olympics, where people from every nation celebrated one another’s achievements. Competition existed, but admiration overshadowed division. Beauty lived not in sameness, but in diversity held together by respect.

More quietly, I was equally moved by the Theravada Buddhist monks who completed a 108-day, 2,300-mile Walk for Peace from Texas to Washington, D.C. Through winter storms and freezing temperatures — often barefoot — they walked to promote compassion and nonviolence. Their message was simple and profound: love is stronger than hate.

Perhaps the borders we hold most tightly are not geographic but mental — ideas shaped by history, upbringing, and fear. Yet again and again, life shows us another truth: beneath language, culture, and belief, we share the same longings for safety, belonging, and kindness.

Spring teaches this gently each year — that connection returns, warmth follows cold, and we truly need one another to flourish.

With warmth and hope,
Annette Pinder