It’s Spring When…

It is a sure sign of spring when the crocuses bloom…and my crocus is a lovely deep purple.

Spring? You ask, checking the calendar no doubt to confirm that it is in fact still February.

Crocuses blooming? You ponder as you look outside and realize the ground is still frozen and covered in snow.

That's right – I always know it is getting close to the spring season because fundraising for all my favourite charities begins in spring…ok well they begin in February, but it makes me feel as though spring is not far away.

The beauty of seeing something wonderful growing in a sunny window on the coldest day in February makes me feel as though there really is light at the end of this very weird-weather-tunnel as known as "winter". I feel a sense of anticipation and hope that the snow will soon stop, the dirt and grime of winter washed away in the spring showers.

This all leads me to a brief discussion of my favourite charities.

I am currently registered as a walker and team member of Hutch's Heroes. This is the second year that we are participating in the MS Super Cities Walk, a world wide fund raiser for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. (If you would like to donate to this walk we would appreciate it. You can check out my pledge page, see a story about how MS is affecting my life and access a link to my team site from here. For my friends and family that have joined our team and have supported us – we THANK YOU!)

I also support the CNIB with their fundraising of crocuses, and I always buy daffodils and donate to the Canadian Cancer Society and the Weekend to End Breast Cancer as well as the JDRF- Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund.

All of these events happen in and around the same time – the end of winter through spring.

I watched the first of my CNIB crocus bulbs flower today – it truly is an amazing sight to watch it grow and I feel as though every hour I can look up and see it has grown a little more, spread it's petals a little wider and the purple colour becomes just a little more rich.

I'm also filled with a small sense of satisfaction that I have done even a little (my crocus plants cost me $10.00 – not a lot really I gave up two lattes to help fund research for the visually impaired – really I don't need the lattes anyway!)

So with thoughts turning to spring, I hope you will think about supporting a cause or charity that affects you or someone you know. It's a big scary world, but we really can make a difference!