I’ve often claimed that spring is my favorite time of the year. Even in sunny California, spring is an exceptionally beautiful time with the blossoming fruit trees, the wisteria and star jasmine that take turns perfuming my backyard and the inevitable return of the freesia and dahlias I planted a few years ago. Roses bloom and the nursery is filled with colorful annuals. But spring has always meant more substantial life changes beyond my garden. My greatest spring gifts were my children–each born in the springtime. So now, it is also a celebration of the memory of those births and a strange reminder of advancing years for all of us. Springtime has also been the time to recognize my own and my family members’ educational accomplishments with graduations from elementary, high school, college and graduate school. Working in higher education, I get to experience that sense of accomplishment in my students and their families each May.
Spring brings longer days and with it the sense that I can stay outdoors longer. I love that! It also means runny noses and sinus headaches. These remind me that I have also had some pretty horrible springtime changes.
It was on an exceptionally beautiful April day that my mother passed away at 57 years old from breast cancer. She was my best friend and we shared a love for spring. I get my green thumb and love of gardening from her and she inherited it from her parents. I am grateful that on her last day on earth, I complied with her request to take her outside in the wheelchair for a walk. I remember the two of us admiring the bright flowers. An hour after the walk, she was gone.
It was in spring that my first marriage of I9 years ended in a painful and unanticipated divorce. It would take me years to process the betrayal of our family and to recover from the hurt, anger, and blow to my sense of self-worth. But I did. And love with my current husband of 15 years, blossomed a few years later in the spring, of course.
And just this week, I was hit with another life altering change, this time in my professional life. I have to say goodbye to one of my life’s passions and the most natural fit: Multicultural Programs. Working in Multicultural Programs as a coordinator was my first professional job in higher education and given my unique life experiences growing up in Southern California, it was a perfect area for me to serve students. Not many people can say that they grew up living and going to school among different ethnic populations that were largely segregated from each other. I started from nursery school at 2 years old through the third grade with Mexican Americans. Forth through sixth grade was with Asian Americans, mostly Japanese Americans and a few Koreans. Seventh grade, I was at a predominately Jewish school. Eight and ninth grade was spent at an all black school and high school was with white students. I made friends and grew comfortable around all these groups and became familiar with their cultures through playtime and homework dates in each other’s homes. Interaction across cultures comes naturally for me, making my work in Multicultural Programs and International Student Services enjoyable and effective. I eventually became the senior director and got to grow the two programs together over 21 years and I’m grateful for that.
This spring will bring a new focus, strictly on the internationalization of the campus. I lost the argument that multiculturalism and internationalism compliment each other. What I believe to be true and what higher ups think is best for the campus are not in sync, so Multicultural Programs will remain in Student Affairs under uncertain leadership while International Student Services moves over to Academic Affairs under the umbrella of a new Global Engagement Center. I’m all about globalization, so this excites me. I’ve studied abroad twice and then, I spent 15 summers in a row traveling the globe, and to this day I follow global politics and history with a passion. So, I’ve hit a new groove and I’m looking forward to this new chapter, no matter how bittersweet.
Spring has always brought me change, some good and some bad. I’m convinced that God in His great mercy has always sweetened my most difficult changes with the joys of springtime.
Your chain of Springtime Blessings will continue beyond the changes now & on the horizon. Prayers & Blessings are not always what WE hope for, simply what we needed for personal growth. This was a nice buffet of food for thought. Thank you for another reason to be grateful.