Spring Reflections
/BY CARA SCHAEFER
Spring is a time of rejuvenation and new life. It can also be a time for reflection — on our lives, and our world. I asked Out There team members about the things that are bringing them joy, the ways they're experiencing growth at the moment, and things that they wish more people knew about. We hope you enjoy their responses, and we’d love to hear your thoughts on these questions!
OUT THERE: What outdoor images or memories do you associate with spring?
Tiffany Duong: Birds chirping. Kids running around in grass, playing and laughing. Sunshine.
Forrest Wood: When I think of spring, I think of tiny leaves. I steward 24 acres of woodland in nowhere-northern New Jersey. The property has been in my family for four generations, and I’ve visited it in every season. Spring is a particularly wonderful time to be there. The tulips trees always wake up first. Their tiny leaves are so small and thin, practically translucent, but in just a few more weeks they will be massive leaves the size of your face. I see all these little leaves and the word that comes to mind is, “Potential”.
Jessica Taylor: Pollen, white flowers, bright new greens. Windows open.
Willow Belden: When I lived on the East Coast, spring was my favorite season — full of crocuses, daffodils, budding trees, and the sweet smell of fresh air. Now that I live in Wyoming, “spring” doesn’t really exist; we go directly from winter to summer (last year, there was a snow storm as late as June). In Wyoming, spring means muddy trails, cold wind, and the drab remnants of dirty snow. But the bleak “shoulder season” makes summer that much sweeter when it finally does arrive.
OT: What’s one thing that is bringing you joy this season and why?
Forrest: The list of things bringing me joy this season is not short, but the number one thing that I’m excited and grateful for is my second dose of Pfizer. My goodness, what a relief. I can't wait to play with my friends again.
Jessica: Getting out into nature and experiencing my first spring living on the East Coast. I love being close to the ocean and seeing the forest’s new growth right along its edge. It’s so beautiful and different.
Tiffany: Yoga by the sea – doing some "hippie" full moon ceremonies feels really cleansing, and it's nice to think you get a restart every month.
Sheeba: My little niece is 18 months, and though this is not her first spring, she is more vocal and aware this year than last year. A few weeks ago, my mom and I showed her how to plant a seed. When the seed started to bloom, and she recognized it as the one we planted together, she got super excited! She now asks us in her own little ways to see the plant, which is growing bigger each day. It's fun to see the excitement of plants and birds and butterflies, all the sweet memories of spring, from the amazement of a little one!
Cara: Watching my cat play with popsicle sticks (or really do anything). He’s a tiny tyrant, but also very cute.
Photos courtesy of FoRRest Wood.
OT: Spring can often symbolize rejuvenation or growth. How is that showing up in your own life right now?
Forrest: One major aspect of growth in my life right now is my choice not to return to the seasonal summer job I’ve had for the past few years. It’s a little scary not to have a paying job on the horizon, but I’m committing time to finish the first drafts of two books I’ve been in the process of writing this past year. Writing has always been something I’ve done in my free time, but now I’m really trying to cultivate self-discipline and motivation towards a writing career. This commitment will hopefully be a big step towards becoming the person I want to be.
Jessica: With my largest client leaving me without notice or reason, I have been left empty handed and I had to let my team go. Although this is a tough season, I still am so thankful it’s coming during the spring when I am reminded that things have to die in order to be made new, just like how we see leaves fall and come back with new life.
Tiffany: I've had a ton of new opportunities show up at my door that are exciting, scary, and overwhelming. In order to do right by them – and myself – I'm being forced to let go of what doesn't fully serve me in my life (people, jobs, etc.). Letting go with grace is not a skill I have mastered yet, so I'm growing through that.
Cara: As both a chronic people pleaser and overachiever, I’ve always struggled with setting boundaries when it comes to work. Especially when those boundaries might inconvenience someone else. With leading Saturday interpretive hikes and helping with special events, I’ve found that I’m sometimes working every day of the week…which doesn’t feel great to be honest. So this week I finally asked for a few Mondays off to make up for weekend work hours. Meetings will have to be moved, people will possibly be displeased, but I need to create that space for myself.
OT: What’s one thing you want more people to know about?
Forrest: A word that should be a part of everyone's vocabulary : Mycorrhiza (My-core-riz-ah) — The symbiotic paring of fungus and root. We once thought that a forest was a collection of plants and animals all competing for sunlight and nutrients. Modern science has proven otherwise. Forests are cooperative, trees of different species can share nutrients through vast underground networks of symbiotic fungi. Trees trade sugars to bacteria within the fungi, who mine minerals from rocks that tree roots themselves cannot penetrate. All of that trading happens within the thin, filamentous structure of the fungi, collectively called mycelium. All of this information is creating a new type of forest management called Mycoforestry - which directly encourages healthy ecosystems by highlighting the importance of soil health, and supporting mycorrhizal growth.
Jessica: Jasmine Star Show Podcast and Crush the Rush Podcast. Both are women business owners that are rocking the marketing/business/life support category. I always learn and have something actionable to do after I listen to them.
Tiffany: That we really do only have about 10 years to save the environment. It sounds doomsday and crazy, but that's where we are. We are the last hope for our way of life and our planet as we know it.
Willow: The book Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer. It’s a love letter to the natural world, and a fascinating inside look at the ways in which science and indigenous wisdom complement each other. If you think (as I used to) that human activities are unequivocally bad for the environment — that sustainability means minimizing harm (rather than actively doing good) — read this book. If it seems preposterous to suggest that the natural world could, in some instances, be better off because of human interactions — read this book. If you seek an understanding of your place in the world that transcends the boundaries of art, science, or spirituality — read this book. It has already changed me for the better.
Cara: Go outside today and try to find one new thing. It will lead you to wonder.
Answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.
