Celebrating Spring
A season of beauty, wonder, and hope
April is a time of wonder, when the spring peepers emerge from hibernation and begin to call, when robins and redwing blackbirds come back north, and when new green life appears. That is one of the greatest of all wonders, the growth of a bud and a leaf from a seed or a root that has lain dormant in the earth all winter. ~Hal Borland (1900–1978)1
At this time of year, Mother Nature is resplendent. Each leaf, each flower, each new plant breaking through the soil is a miracle in and of itself. Combined, they create a dazzling spectacle that can take our breath away.
“There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature - the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.” — Rachel Carson
In the midst of so much that is dark and difficult, when chaos abounds, it can be hard to even lift our head up to see the beauty that surrounds us. Yet it is there, waiting for us, ready to sooth our souls and give us the energy and courage we need to face another day.
With this in mind, I decided to “Celebrate Spring” by posting a picture and quote each day on Notes. Below are the ones from the first nine days of April.
Enjoy!
What’s Your Story?
What picture, what quote, lifts your heart?
I’ve really enjoyed taking these pictures (or finding them on my phone) and pairing them with quotes. Looking up high into the flowering trees, peering down low to see the violets coming up through the cracks in the sidewalk, and eyeing what’s blooming in between — has lightened and brightened my days.
Try it! You don’t have to do it for a whole month or week. Even just doing it once will be a welcome break from the doom scrolling that can take up so much of our energy and time.
Share your pictures and quotes in the comments below. At the end of the month, I’ll pull them all together in a collage or two and share them here.
Or write a short reflection (up to 250 words) on why the picture or quote means so much to you. I’d be delighted to work with you to share your reflection here on Substack or on the Building Bridges Word by Word website.
Why write? Consider it a gift to yourself. A chance to step back, catch your breath, and see the world anew.
Why share? Consider it a gift to the rest of us. A chance for us to get a fresh perspective and realize that we may have more in common than we’ve been led to believe. Knowing that, we can begin to build bridges to each other.
How to send in your story? Here are the guidelines with the details and next steps. Questions? Email me at mscribner.buildingbridgeswbw@gmail. com. I look forward to hearing from you and sharing your story!
Here are the posts for the first nine days of April.
“Spring: A lovely reminder of how beautiful change can truly be.” — Tracy McMillan
April 1, 2026
“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees... I had the familiar conviction that life was beginning over again.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald
April 2, 2026
“In the spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside 24 hours.” — Mark Twain / April 3, 2026
"Spring has returned. The earth is like a child that knows poems."
— Rainer Maria Rilke / April 4, 2026
"Blossom by blossom, the spring begins." — Algernon Charles Swinburne
April 5, 2026
“I sit before flowers hoping they will train me in the art of opening up.”
— Shane Koyczan / April 6, 2026
“Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!’” — Robin Williams
April 7, 2026
I saw this tree while I was walking home from a City Council Meeting. I’m thankful that there are still places where we can civilly speak, listen, and even disagree — for that is what democracy looks like. April 8, 2026
"April prepares her green traffic light, and the world thinks: Go."
— Christopher Morley / April 9, 2026
I stumbled on Terri Guillemets’ “The Quote Garden” a beyond fabulous collection of annotated quotes. How is it possible that I’ve not known of it before? I highly recommend it! But beware, once there, you may never return… joyfully lost in reading quote after quote. Terri gives an ironic nod to this in the quote that ends her FAQ. One that I can appreciate but never seem to attain! “Then there’s the joy of getting your desk clean, and knowing that all your letters are answered, and you can see the wood on it again.” —Lady Bird Johnson
Spring season sights, sounds…
buds, blossoms, beauty burgeons.
Bubbling, badass bursts!
...
Despite stinking stench,
springtime shows up smelling fresh.
Primed for rebirthing.