For me, this first day of daylight savings time marks the official beginning of a new “outdoor” season.  Winter, albeit mild here along the Southern California coast, begins to make its exit, and as the days lengthen, there just seems to be more energy to draw on. 

I bet I’m not alone when I say that it seems more important this year.  It was March 11 last year that COVID-19 was officially declared a “global Pandemic,” and it seems like it was this day last year that everything here slammed to a stop because of it.  I remember thinking that, man, this sucks, and it looks like it could last for months.  I guess that thought now tells the story of how inexperienced I was with global pandemics. 

But on this March 14, things look brighter.  Yes, we are still wearing masks, lining up for vaccines, and hoping we can get back to our favorite restaurants sometime soon, but there does appear to be a light at the end of the tunnel.  Even as I write this, restaurants, gyms, and other compromised or closed businesses are beginning to reopen.  It appears that if 2020 was the year of hitting the brakes and backing up, 2021 is looking like the year we get to start moving back in the right direction.

One of our favorite things to do in the springtime is to hike in our local mountains.  The seasonal rains bring the wildflowers, and it always feels like a time of rejuvenation.  Not even having that option last year, this year feels extra special.  We hope for the rain to catch up a bit, but we’re still just early in the wildflower season, so there’s time.  And now, with the daylight hanging around a bit longer in the evening and there is more time to soak it in on a day-to-day basis as well. 

2020 was a challenging year for everyone, particularly those who lost loved ones or their financial security due to the shutdowns.  And as this past winter settled into its annual darkness and coronavirus cases exploded, it seemed a little risky to get our hopes too high about what possibilities the spring of 2021 might bring.  It has indeed been a long, dark year.

But here we are on this first day of daylight savings time; the sun will be up an extra hour this evening, businesses really are starting to reopen, and at least to me, our future does look a little brighter once again.