A local skill hill just sent out a celebratory email lauding the fact that their hills were open for six months this winter.  Six months, wow!  This Canadian winter has been very long and it is still fighting with spring to see who will rule the day, the weekend and the season.  Too long, too long, too long has winter been present this time.

Despite the grey, the dead refuse and the mucky cold that this season has brought, there is always hope of renewal and re-birth.

For job seekers, longer hours of sunshine loosen the shackles of gloomy distress and bring about renewed energy to continue the search with renewed positive fervour.

For the elderly or housebound, the lack of snow releases them from their prisons of interior air and moribund activity.  The doors open and their toes and lungs breathe freedom and feel the freshly wetted pavement along their way.

For the teenagers, the weather is finally catching up to their inadequate selection of “warm” winter outer clothes and predilection for runners, that may now finally run.

For me, I can now savour my morning coffee while looking through a bright window into the garden and the pots of herbs that overwintered outside.  Stronger sunlight has caused bright, happy, new green shoots of chives and mint to poke through the layer of long dead plant remains from last season.  Re-birth, renewal and new hope.

I am amazed how such a small thing like green shoots, can pack such a large punch of positivity.   I love to start my day powered by the positivity of green shoots and endless potential.