This is my favorite time of year. I endure the winter just because I know this season will follow it. I can once again feel the warmth of the springtime sun on my pallid skin. Oh, it’s not yet truly warm, but in comparison to the biting cold, it is as welcome as any wonder can be. As the cool April rains burst open the sleeping buds of tree and flower, I revel in the invasion of my gray and bleak world by the deep greens and soft pastels of the return of life. And so it is in our own lives. The winter seasons come, and then they finally end, and the rains that follow cleanse our soul and bring us back to life.

I’d like to give this song to my dear friend, Julie Ward. Your winter is over.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.