Spring always brings new things. New activities such as badminton and track begin at school, baseball starts up and golfers begin to hit the links. Teachers seem to be in better moods, as do the students. Animals, especially my dog, love it as their owners are now brave enough to take them into the great outdoors. It seems when one person is more upbeat, it radiates to others as well. If you wander outdoors for a while, you will notice children playing in the parks and people walking their dogs. Most species have new offspring born and the leaves on the trees begin to bud.

Spring brings a promise of renewal and new life. People become inspired to try new things and try things again that may not have worked out in the past. It gives us hope that we can be different and that we will accomplish our goals. Seeing the leaves faithfully bud after a long and cold winter serves as inspiration that things will always turn out in the end. It is analogous to our lives in that even after a really hard event, much like the tree being outside in -30 temperatures, it is possible for things to work out after all.

Thinking that spring will eventually come gives people the hope they need to get through the long winter. For many people, myself included, not knowing there was spring would make winter a much more depressing season. Although many love Christmas, it seems as if it passes too quickly and there are a good two or three months of cold weather after the event with nothing much to look forward to. Knowing that spring will come gives people hope and allows them to get through the short days of sunlight and the long nights.

Having faith in God is similar to the hope springs brings. Knowing that no matter what happens things will turn out better in the end is enough reason to keep going. Knowing God is always at your side when you are going through difficulties also allows people to have hope that it will not last forever. Making our way through hard times is much easier when we remember that, just like spring follows winter, things will get better again. No matter how much snow falls, how many blizzards there have been or how many times you almost got frostbite on your toes, there will always be a new beginning.

It is enough to give me strength and encourage me to keep going. So each nice day there is this year, I will make my best effort to enjoy the weather, feel the sun on my face and watch the snow melt. Through all this, I will also try to remember that God is with me always, that He has delivered on His promise yet again, and that when things aren’t going so well, it will turn out all right in the end.

(Kindrachuk is a Grade 10 student at Vanier Collegiate in Moose Jaw, Sask.)