According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, winter officially ended at 5:00 a.m. on March 20th, and spring arrived at 5:01 a.m.! I woke up at 4:58 a.m., ready to celebrate, even though it was a chilly 19 degrees where I live!
I’ve always found spring to be synonymous with newness, hope, and optimism.
Speaking of optimism, I recently babysat two of my grandsons. Naptime approached and according to a long-held custom, there would be a story before the little darlings had to get in their beds and stay in their beds. In the rush to follow protocol, I forgot my reading glasses, but decided I could “wing it.” After checking diapers, I settled the wiggly worms on my lap and proceeded to “read” a modified version of the classic story: The Little Engine That Could.
Published in the U.S. in 1930, I later learned this beloved story is among teachers’ top 100 books for children. It highlights a small engine that tries to accomplish a seemingly impossible task and in the end succeeds through optimism and hard work—two great values to embrace.
During the early years of the pandemic, I found myself isolated, fearful, and sad. I mourned the loss of my dad and connections with family and friends. Many days I stared at a blank screen on my computer, struggling to write. It wasn’t until I opened a Word Document I began in 2015, that I was finally able to move forward. The file name was simply “Lucy,” and she became the “little engine” that pulled me over the mountain of pessimism and frustration. She is a heartwarming small-town Christian romance novella (a mini-novel), and a reminder to keep telling myself, “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can” until I finally can.
Optimism and hard work still go hand-in-hand.
If you’re at the bottom of a mountain, facing a seemingly impossible task today, I wish you the newness, hope, and optimism of spring. But more importantly, if you need help up that mountain, I leave you with this:
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 121: 1-2
Here’s to “mountain climbing!”
Until next time . . .
