Checking in on the nature of a relationship.
Lindsey Richards Barnes
Dear Mother Nature,
I have been ignoring you lately. I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for all you do for us humans. I don’t know how you do it. You provide water, shelter, sun, rain, everything we need and you don’t get enough recognition for it. I mean, you meet every need we have. We—rather I—get so into putting one foot in front of the other, I forget to notice things. I should definitely spend more time hanging out with you. I mean, this is your season. Spring is when you make your biggest effort, demanding our attention and rightly so. The whole world celebrates freshness, growth, life itself.
Not like winter. No sirree Bob, the complete opposite of winter. Winter is quiet, cold and pale. It’s time for reflection, mending, learning. As an introvert, I love my winters. The weather conveniently gives you reasons to cancel plans. What a shame. It’s snowing. Can’t get out the driveway. Another time. That’s so helpful. Winter is so cozy, and living cozy is one of my main life goals. But spring? Spring is a riot of color and possibilities. Spring is going to grab you by the hand and yank you outside. No time for reflection, we’ve got things to do. Plants are emerging, birds are returning, seeds need to be started, we are full of hope. I can sit on the porch with my coffee again. We are full of anticipation to see all the life gush forth. Spring is so joyful. So promising. So darn happy.
Spring is the time for cute. Baby animals, no matter the species, charm and delight me. I adore cute. If a farm animal has big eyes (calves), oversized ears (bunnies), walk like they’ve been drinking (ducklings), snore when sleeping (piglets) or exhibit unbridled sassy behavior (goat kids), I am all over it. I will melt like butter on the sidewalk in August. If I’ve watched too much national news and I am slipping into a “doom mood,” you provide instant relief. I can smell the top of a puppy’s head. Get a kitten to bat a ball of paper. Watch the birds at a feeder. I just have to remember that there is joy happening all around and I need to look up and join in. Thank you, Mother Nature, for giving me all this calming cuteness so I don’t stress over things that are quite frankly, way outside of my control.
Thank you for letting me feel that I am making progress in life. There’s nothing better than watching seeds you planted breaking through the soil. All new plantlets are that wonderful shade of Kermit frog-green and I love it. I will run back inside the house to announce to everyone that my watermelon plant is waking up or the asparagus is just popping or my salsify is making a big effort to thrive. I feel so accomplished when I can point to a happy outdoor plant and know that I took proper care of it. That’s accomplishment and there’s nothing like it. Accomplishment gives you confidence and helps you face challenges. I am grateful for the earned sense of success.
The thing that you do that I’m most in love with is that every spring, you bring us hope. Every year, our optimism takes a deep breath in spring. This year, we’re going to have the best garden ever. This year, I will take more walks. Now that it’s nice out again, I can try that new café. This spring, I’m not going to miss out on the world waking up from the winter nap.
Thank you, Mother Nature, for being the supportive giver of life and whimsy. You are amazing and I promise this spring I’ll spend less time in front of computer screens and more time chasing sunbeams. I love you.
—Molly
The story above first appeared in our March / April 2025 issue. For more like it subscribe today or log in with your active BRC+ Membership. Thank you for your support!