Spring is coming!
Last week, sunk in thoughts about these deeply troubling times, I braved the frigid air to check my mailbox. Among a zillion junk mail envelopes, I discovered one addressed to me by hand. Before I’d even opened it, a heart on the front and cheerful stamp on the back made me optimistic. I imagined a child who might have created the lovely hand-made card inside. Its message could not have been more timely: Spring is coming! I felt lifted up, happy and cared for.
Outdoors the wind was howling; its wind chill registered 6 below. But inside, my kitchen was filled with warmth and light. Nothing could top that message at that moment! The card still sits in the center of our kitchen table. It still warms me and will and makes us smile every time we read it. What a gift!
A slip enclosed with the card read Warm greetings from your neighbors at Northampton Neighbors Chamber of Commerce netWORK, Northampton Public Schools, and Northampton Neighbors. With generosity, our community confronts a growing darkness that threatens all of us — and gives back light.
Annita Sawyer
Northampton