If you watched TV in the 1980s, you must remember an advert for Mr Kipling’s cakes in which a rather plummy voiced actor said… ‘Autumn, season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’?
Of course, the more highbrow of you will recognise this as the opening line of ‘To Autumn’ by John Keats.
Well, if autumn is indeed the season of mellow fruitfulness then spring must be the season of regrowth and optimism because there is no better time of year than now to see signs of hope and fresh growth, no better time to be optimistic, make plans and look forward.
Ironic then that we are witnessing all of nature’s brilliance through a window, in small spaces like our gardens or in some truly unfortunate cases, not witnessing it at all.
Like everybody else, we have no idea when this wretched situation will end, or when we will be able to go out with family and friends, share a walk with loved ones, play games in the park or stroll along a beach, enjoy a picnic, watch a cricket match over a cold glass with team mates or go to a concert.
We are all becoming used to dealing with a new normal, we are sharing the same fears and concerns and often facing some rather bleak conditions. We are finding new ways to communicate and there seems to be a greater appreciation of time and how we use it, taking the opportunity to reflect on larger ideas away from the daily maelstrom.
And, in the midst of all this, spring tells us that nature is indeed all around us, and perhaps we need to reconsider our role, to not think of ourselves as superior to nature or even its equal but as a part of nature, a wonderful, strong component capable of great things. Together we can achieve more than perhaps we believe, the tide is turning on our use of plastic, we are more aware than ever of our responsibilities to our wonderful planet and if just one good thing can come out of this crisis, perhaps we can agree to take these responsibilities even more seriously?
We have no answers, but we do know that spring will be followed by summer with its bright colours and long, warm days, heady scents of sweet peas and gardenias, air filled with bird song and laughter.
Whatever you are doing and wherever you are, please know that we send our very best wishes to you and yours, take care, stay safe, maybe eat cake but always look forward… Summer will follow spring.