Ch-ch-ch-changes

March 23, 2026

“Ch-ch-ch-changes, turn and face the strange

Changes, pretty soon now you’re gonna get older

Time may change me, but I can’t trace time.”

~David Bowie

Spring has fully sprung in central Virginia. I awake each morning to the sounds of happy birds calling out to mates and looking for nesting materials. When the sun rises, I can see vibrant yellow forsythia in bloom along the edge of my yard. The crocus and daffodils have  mostly passed their peak. A few red and purple tulips are blooming in my yard, some in new locations thanks to the pesky squirrels who love to dig them up and replant them. Last week our tulip magnolia hit its full glory of pink and white blossoms and our red bud pushed out is delicate lavender flowers. Pale green leaves are starting to emerge on those trees as well as others around the neighborhood. Everything smells fresh and new. Each day I am excited to see the new growth, and I enjoy the anticipation of each phase of spring as it comes.  The weather alternates between chilly days and warm summer-like temperatures, but the overall trend is toward warmth with sunlight lasting into the early evening. After this long, cold, dark winter, I am more than ready for the change of season.

In my personal world, I am ready for change as well. Last week I filed for my Virgina Retirement System pension, and I began to hand tasks I have traditionally been my responsibility over to my co-workers. By the time summer arrives I will be retired and I will have moved onto the next phase of my own life. All going well, I hope to continue to write, to volunteer as a reading teacher at the Healing Place and possibly do more service in the community with parents who have also experienced the death of a child or those who deal with a child trying to find recovery from substance abuse. I look forward to more time practicing yoga, walking along the river, and the freedom to move more slowly through the routines that will continue in my life.

The mindfulness training I took helped me to learn the value of pause. Each day, I attempt to build in time to smell the flowers, to savor my cup of coffee, to feel the kiss of sunshine on my skin (with SPF 30 or higher), to listen to the sounds of the natural world, to see the beauty of the world in front of me. My soul craves a period of rest and reflection daily. I don’t want to spend my time pinning for the future, but to be present now. As I move toward retirement, it feels like I am preparing for another graduation. I want to savor the end of year events and excitement. On Tuesday, Nick and I leave on a long-awaited trip to see the tulips in bloom in Amsterdam and fairy tale castles along the middle Rhine. These are changes I will gladly embrace.