On December 21, I wrote that the long, cold, and dark days of winter usher in my least favorite season of the year; and in this era of Covid, so much the more so – see https://rabbijohnrosove.wordpress.com/2020/12/21/stars-visible-on-earth/

Though we are still eleven weeks from my most favorite season of spring, the anticipation of its lengthier, lighter, and warmer days inspire, even now, renewal and hope.  

To all who’ve been stricken by the coronavirus, may these words bring a measure of comfort, and for those who’ve lost their loved ones, may they find a pathway towards restoration and meaning:

“The snow has not yet left the earth, but spring is already asking to enter your heart. If you have ever recovered from a serious illness, you will be familiar with the blessed state when you are in a delicious state of anticipation, and are liable to smile without any obvious reason. Evidently that is what nature is experiencing just now. The ground is cold, mud and snow squelches under foot, but how cheerful, gentle and inviting everything is! The air is so clear and transparent that if you were to climb to the top of the pigeon loft or the bell tower, you feel you might actually see the whole universe from end to end. The sun is shining brightly, and its playful, beaming rays are bathing in the puddles along with the sparrows. The river is swelling and darkening; it has already woken up and very soon will begin to roar. The trees are bare, but they are already living and breathing.”
―Anton Chekhov, The Exclamation Mark