Dear friends,

As with many of us, I enjoy the changing of the seasons.

Having grown up almost entirely in the South, and never really lived anywhere else except for a year in Japan, just about every year of my five decades has been in the southern states. You might think that would get me used to the heat, but it has never been something I have enjoyed. That is why spring is a nice moment for me. Here in Florida, you never know how long the good weather will last, so a nice day makes me appreciate the good days much more than I might otherwise.

It also makes me not take for granted all the beautiful things that come about during this time of the year. The flowers are blooming. The scent of jasmine is in the air, and it makes many of us smile whenever we smell that sweet scent. Living in Florida for three decades now, I also know that the weather is unpredictable, just as life itself is unpredictable.

Recently in my own life, I’ve had a few ups and downs. My mother was in an accident that threw her like through a major loop. Sadly, her injury is something that I suspect she will be dealing with for the rest of her life. Through no fault of her own, she was hurt at work and now we’re dealing with lawyers and medical bills as my family in Texas begins to rearrange of her life. In a sense, this is another season of her life and that of my family. But just like the scent of jasmine when you’re walking down the street, or hearing some good news for a change, small things make the good days become that much more special. As for my mom, she has a long road to recovery, but is leaving the hospital now and is happy to get back home. It’s a small thing, but it’s also a big thing that is now making her very happy.

To be honest, when I have some of these good days and good feelings, there is a little bit of guilt it goes along with it. Maybe that’s a byproduct of growing up Catholic, but guilt is just a big part of me, and feeling guilty for feeling good is famously not a rare emotion with us lapsed Catholics. When I think of the issues that are going on around the world, from Ukraine to Gaza, our problems seem miniscule in comparison. Yet knowing that people are suffering in a far-off land does not make your pains go away. There is a Bob Marley line that often sticks out to me: “Everyone thinks that his burden is the heaviest.” In many ways, that is true, especially when there is “so much trouble in the world” (to use another Bob Marley line). Knowing that other people are suffering worse than I am rarely makes me feel better when I have a sharp pain in my back or during an unexpected hardship.

Knowing our congregation, I know that many of us are very empathetic and feel the pains of the world very closely, but it still doesn’t take away the pains in our own lives. I say this to remind everyone to also make sure that you’re taking care of yourself while also looking at the big picture. What makes us unique is that the big picture is often very close at hand, but it’s also important to be able to take care of yourself at the same time.

For me, that is why Spring is nice. This season allows me to think about the good things, knowing that sometimes the good days are fleeting. Remembering that in a world of pain and suffering, there are also good people and good things. Stopping for a minute to smell the jasmine doesn’t change the world, it doesn’t help my mom, and it doesn’t stop the wars, but it might change your ability to move and function in the world if you stop for a second and enjoy the beautiful things in life. It might even make you smile.

❤, Scott Satterwhite