Spring Violets Under the Snow

Years ago, my husband gave me a sign that says, “Surely as cometh the Winter, I know there are spring violets under the snow.” This quote is by Robert Henry Newell from his 1871 book of poetry, Versatilities.

I see this sign every day, and it reminds me of several things: (1) things don’t stay the same; (2) no matter how hard things may be at any given moment, there is hope for the future; (3) sometimes Winter seems a lot longer than it is (especially if you are like me and count the days until your garden turns green again).

We’ve all been talking about “the last few years” and the impact it has had on the world, on society, and on us as individuals. We probably all wondered at least once if this would last forever, and I’m pretty sure we all asked, “When is this going to end??”

The answer to these questions about the COVID-19 pandemic response seems to be that it is finally winding down as many people have started going back on the road, working in the office with their teams, and planning in-person events. While some restrictions and rules are still in place, there is now an end in sight. The fear is decreasing, and the future seems like one where we can get back to living and not just existing.

While sometimes we must wait what seems an eternity for things to change, there is a season to everything, and everything has its season*. This applies to our personal lives and our professional lives. Despite the shock of the initial events of 2020, the nonprofit community is still standing. It’s still thriving. And hopefully, we will remember the lessons we learned during this long winter of our discontent+.

* To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1
+Richard III by William Shakespeare: Now is the winter of our discontent | Made glorious summer by this sun of York