March 2026

Good morning, Dear Ones, March 1st is the first day of Spring and after the icy freezing weather we have had, just the mention of Spring sounds wonderful, peaceful, and warm. As the days grow longer and the crisp winter air gives way to the warmth of spring, many people notice a shift in their emotions. This isn’t just a coincidence—our emotions are deeply connected to our natural body rhythms, brain chemistry, and environ-mental factors like sunlight exposure. While feelings of happiness and sadness may seem personal and subjective, they are actually shaped by intricate processes within our bodies that regulate how we respond to the world around us.

Can Spring bring a sense of renewal when we’re grieving?...Spring is a season that whispers renewal, fresh begin-nings, and hope. But when we are grieving, the arrival of Spring can feel out of sync. When your heart aches and your spirit feels dormant, how do you embrace the call to begin again? Grief doesn’t follow the calendar, and yet Spring gently reminds us that even the deepest winters of the soul are not forever. Renewal doesn’t mean forgetting. It means allowing ourselves to gently shift—from surviving to sensing the possi-bly of living again. To honor what was, while making space for what may be.

The Invitation of Spring…Spring doesn’t ask us to leap for-ward. It invites us to soften. Just as the earth thaws slowly and blossoms gradually emerge, we, too, are allowed to unfold—bud by bud, moment by moment. There is no rush. Only a quiet possibility: That something within us may still want to bloom.

Renewal is Not a Requirement—It’s an Invitation. You are not expected to feel better simply because the season has changed. Spring doesn’t demand your healing. It simply offers a whisper. You are still here. And there is life within you. You may still cry. You may feel joy and sadness in the same breath. This, too, is renewal. Grief and growth are not opposites. They can coexist—softly, silently, and beautifully.

So, whether today you smile through tears or simply sit quietly and breathe, know that this is enough. Like Spring, you are allowed to begin again—gently, and in your own time.

Grief is love with nowhere to go—unless we give it direction. Love doesn’t end—it transforms. Let it continue in a way that feels true to you.

Ruth Turner, Outreach Chair and Certified Grief Support Facilitator