Hope Springs Eternal

Anika’s Zen and the Power of Gratitude. A new weekly column. Every Sunday.

 

There’s something about the Sun that always makes me happy. Even on a really cold day, if the sun is out, I feel lighter, happier and more optimistic. Which actually, does not make sense because it can sometimes be below freezing and still sunny! A mirage of sorts.

According to this time article, even Hippocrates believed that the changing seasons had something to do with health. He believed that the key was how much available daylight there was during different times of the year.

 

 

I believe that the love for the sun is also cultural. I had a colleague whose skin was like porcelain, flawless – she never when out in the sun and if ever she did, she ensured that it was not without an oversized hat. My father, on the other hand, taught us to go outside and soak up the sun every opportunity one could. Having grown up in a tropical country, that opportunity was ‘every day’. And I still do it every time the sun comes out – except, this time, with SPF!

My feelings about winter and the cold on the other hand? Let’s just say, it will take more than a few columns to describe my strong feelings about winter!

 

Longer Days

 

It is thanks to this cultural love for the sun, that I, perhaps, love the day that marks the December solstice. It’s the astronomical moment when the Sun reaches the Tropic of Capricorn, the day when the Northern hemisphere experiences the shortest day and the longest night of the year, measured in daylight. It also marks the official start of winter. But more importantly, it is also the day when the days start getting longer, even though one may not feel it for a few weeks in. Now that is the kind of information that makes my winter blues go away!

 

Spring Forward

 

 

And then comes Spring towards the end of March. While the weather is still cold and harsh outside, the seasons and cycles of life show us that hope springs forward and growth prepares to break ground.

As a lover of the Sun and a believer of Hope, Spring to me has always been about growth, against all odds. A theme that means even more this year as all of us continue to fight this global pandemic. And so, even though the days are still cold and evenings even colder, I decided to take a step back and enjoy these early signs of life, shooting through the soil, soon filling my garden with the cacophony and fluttering of birds and bees.

 

Celebrating Spring

 

Early spring flowers always surprise me. Imagine the ground being covered with ice and snow, but these blooms still bursting forth, no matter how harsh the weather. Perhaps why, while other flowers may be prettier and more fragrant, early spring bloomers are the ones I now seek. Here are some of my favorites:

 

Crocus

 

One of the earliest flowers to bloom, Crocus add much need colors to the ground, growing small but unmistakable amongst the early spring grass. They are not only important for new, hungry bees looking for nectar while the other flowers get ready to bloom months later; they also multiply and will come back year after year. Two types, there is the snow or wild crocus that are smaller but quick and the first to bloom. I see them often during my walks and they always give me colorful reasons to pause. Then there is the more common Dutch crocus that bloom a little later and have larger flowers.

Nature is strange that way – it has a better understanding of what life needs, making the snow crocus smaller and therefore faster to emerge. If only we understood such nuances, perhaps we would worry a little less.

 

Creeping phlox

 

The creeping phlox with its gorgeous lavender color flowers can make any non-gardener stop to literally, smell the flowers. Blooming later spring to early summer, they are like a carpet, covering the ground with clusters of fragrant, five-petal flowers. Attracting butterflies and other pollinators to the garden, these flowers, like the crocus are so important for the butterflies and the bees! Talk about giving back: once they are done blooming, they continue to remain green and attractive, almost till winter visits again!

I tried so hard to grow this plant, but it does not seem to like the way I try to grow it. Perhaps I over nurture it, while I am beginning to believe that it probably does best when left all alone. Not one to give up, it is now on my list for next spring.

 

Hyacinths

 

Bold, fragrant and colorful are the only ways to describe the Hyacinth. Blooming in early spring, you can probably smell these bulbs, long before you see them. Introduced to Europe during the 16th century, hyacinth’s popularity sparked Dutch bulb growers to breed more than 2,000 cultivars by the 18th century. Today, there are about 60 to choose from.

Hyacinths are some of the easiest spring bulbs to grow. The best part? Put them in the ground and forget them – they will come back every year! I forgot that I had planted them and was pleasantly surprised when they appeared, fragrant and bright. Unfortunately, the deer discovered them around the same time that I did and that was the end of it! Perhaps next time I should plant them in a pot! Perhaps.

 

Snowdrops

 

Just like the name, these pretty flowers look like little snowdrops. Ironical, because you want the spring flowers to make you forget about winter.

A hardy perennial, snowdrops will flower, no matter what the weather. They will even push through frozen, snow-covered ground. Talk about being resilient! Known for their small, white bell-shaped flowers, there are several snowdrop varieties to choose from. To the amateur gardener, a snowdrop is a snowdrop, but to the expert each one is a collector’s item.

Snowdrops, like many of these early spring flowers, help us enjoy every part of the growth process – when they first push through the ground. Then, when the first distinct white “drops” form on them, and finally when the drops fully open. Each step seems like a meditative experience. I don’t have snowdrops in my garden. Yet.

 

The Wild Ones

 

I absolutely love walking. They remind me of my childhood walks with my father. Which is why, perhaps, I look forward to the warm weather because it also signals the hope of a good, long walk.

I am lucky to have some amazing places near me, that allow me to indulge my love for long walks. Along the way, I see these beautiful wildflowers that remind me, that no matter what, that spring is here. Amongst my favorite are the Dutchman’s breeches and the Virginia Bluebells – both widely distributed across the forests of eastern North America.

The Dutchman’s breeches not only flower in early spring; they spread to form colonies. Which means that it is very possible, to stumble upon a colony that has hundreds of flowers in bloom at the same time. And if it is one of your favorite walking or hiking sites, you can be rest assured of the same blooms year after year!

The Virginia bluebells, on the other hand, grow comfortably in the shade. So, the next time you catch a splash of blue under the tree, show those Virginia bluebells a little love.

 

Gratitude for Spring Blooms

 

Spring is here. The normal world, on the other hand, is not here yet. The pandemic continues and the economy, along with our lives, continue to slowly inch back to normal – taking two steps forward and one step back.

I must admit, I have never looked so closely at spring flowers before. Life was usually about the hustle of catching a train or a bus to New York – leaving early and coming back much later. Sometimes I was lucky to see a sunset.

The pandemic however has given us much to pause for and reflect upon. It’s one of the few times that I have actually had the chance to walk around in my garden and see what blooms first. It is also one of the very first times in my life that I have had the luxury of long walks in general. Both experiences have rewarded me in their own way.

A few years ago, to do my bit for the bee crisis, I had bee hotels put up all over my garden. This year, as the buzzing returns, reminding me that the bees are here, I am in deep gratitude for these early spring flowers that are so critical for these pollinators. The way these flowers bloom, pushing through snow covered ground and even surviving harsh frost, gives me hope. No matter what, things will get better. Spring will come. Flowers will bloom and we will survive for another season. I, for one, am going to pause a little longer the next time wild spring flowers, unexpectedly, brighten up my walk!

 

Read my previous blogs below:

• Anika’s Zen and the Power of Gratitude
• Sack Full of Breaths
• The Power of Silence: A Date with Myself
• Travel Through the Glass
• The Elusive Trophy
• The Joy of Everyday
• Does Love Have a Color?
• My Neighborhood, My Tribe
• The Snow Persisted
• Lucky Me, a Woman
• Science, the Real Hero
• Where Diamonds Fail
• An Optimistic World
• This Thing Called Blah

 

Anika Sharma is a digital thought leader, a mother, a professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business. She was recently named as one of the top 150 digital global leaders to follow in 2021. When she is not busy working or raising her two teenage children, you can find her planting herbs in her garden, meditating with her friends, swimming long laps or filling rooms with her cackling laughter. Contact her at anikadas@gmail.com or on twitter

 

If you enjoyed this blog, read about the Many Benefits of Gratitude, Covid-19: How I am Learning to Cope, Seven Ways to Manage Your Emotions, Covid-19 and Beyond and the Rules of Simple Living.