“Have the tulips changed, or have we?”
June 22, 2021
I did not intend to be away from this writing space for so long. Life gets busy in ways that should no longer be surprising, but I am back. And I am in the best of moods, writing this, about the rain that came our way this past Sunday in Minnesota. It’s a relief from the heat spell that shocked us straight into summer solstice. Now, we have sun again. And a near-perfect day.
The spring to summer transition in Minnesota always puts me in the giddiest of moods. I have dozens upon dozens of photographs on my phone of apple blossom trees spotted on walks around the neighborhood in late April. In May, I was inhaling every lilac bush, and soon after, skipping joyfully towards every budding peony. And don’t get me started on the tulips! I think my heart skipped a beat at the very sight of each one this year.
At what feels like the transition out of (hopefully) the gloomiest days of this global pandemic, spring has felt like the opening back up of a glove compartment of a car that has been neglected a while. There was a long period in 2020 and early 2021 when I was not driving much. There were not many places to go.
After a year-plus of a global pandemic, civil unrest, and an election that divided the country more than any other election I have lived through thus far, we are all grasping at, and clinging to, familiar, universal things and experiences that we can all relate to.
Now, old items, and what were once familiar experiences, feel new and exciting again. Each new week brings about new discoveries.
And I feel like I am noticing it all more than ever before.
In an article published by the New York Times in late April titled Are There More Tulips Than Usual This Year?, the writer Ezra Marcus poses the question, “have the tulips changed, or have we?”.
“I can’t tell if they’re more beautiful than last year or if I’m so traumatized and downtrodden by the year’s events I’m just happier to see them,” said actress and podcast host Dasha Nekrasova in the article. “They definitely seemed abundant and caused me to reflect with gratitude on the attention and care with which someone planted them.”
The article goes on to say that, in New York City, groups like the Department of Parks & Recreation admitted to planting “the same number of tulip bulbs as last year” and the Fund for Park Avenue said it did “just as it does every year”. However, the article goes on to state that while demand for tulips from event and wedding companies and vendors plummeted, plants and bulbs of all sorts were “flying off the shelves” within communities.
A few months into national shutdowns for COVID-19, all of us had (somewhat) mastered a Zoom call, learned where the dust collected the most in every corner of our homes and apartments, tried our hand at baking banana bread, and adopted plant hobbies that (speaking for myself) did not last.
“Does it seem like every millennial you know is becoming a plant person?” I remember asking a friend in mid-2020. As the world defrosted, I found myself liking - and seeing at a growing rate - photos of carefully selected displays of potted indoor plants posted on friend’s social accounts. On more than a few occasions, I sent video call links to friends, and added below the links, planting tips and recipes I had discovered online that sounded “fun”. (I do not enjoy cooking.)
This was my “new normal”.
My daily gratitude practice now often includes a thankfulness for trees and flowers, sunrises and sunsets. It was something I had rarely thought to include in my practice before. But in times of distress, the universe offers promises we can all cling to:
The trees will grow. The flowers will bloom. And the sun will rise and set each day.
I will forever remember the people, the things, and the opportunities that were lost because of this pandemic. But I will also try, in these bright days just past summer solstice, to remember the wisdom and insight to be gained from it, too.
I came across some quotes and ideas in my journal the other day that I had written down in the early days of our collective COVID-19 “lockdown”. This one may be my favorite:
“When this ends, may we find that we have become more like the people we were called to be, we hoped to be. And may we stay that way - better for each other because of the worst.” ~ Laura Kelly Fanucci
And may we stop to notice the tulips.
Things I’ve loved this past week
This article, which attempts to answer the question: “Why do Americans place so much importance on lawn maintenance?” (We learned the other day we have been overwatering our lawn, and it took me on an interesting journey through the internet.)
The “Taming Anxiety Series” on the Ten Percent Happier podcast with Dan Harris, especially the “kickoff” episode of the series: Sara Bareilles: Anxiety, Anger, and Art.
An article that has been circulating around LinkedIn titled “Winners and Losers in the Work-from-Home revolution”. I have been fascinated by the debate that has been rising on what we should expect of post-pandemic in terms of remote work.
I have started a daily yoga practice back up, and have been tapping into a daily meditation or travel sleep story on my Calm app. I am lucky to have been gifted a year-long subscription to this, and I guess I didn’t know how much I needed it.
This yummy recipe for instant pot crack chicken. Alternatively, this recipe for mapo tofu. We made both at home recently and will definitely be doing so again!
What I’m listening to
“West Lake” by Saib
“Baby Bye Bye” by Kitty, Daisy & Lewis
“Daisies” by Katy Perry
“Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles
“Be Fearless And Play” by Wookiefoot
“California English” by Vampire Weekend
“Island in The Sun” by Weezer
“All I Wanna Do” by Sheryl Crow
*Thanks to the friends who made suggestions and helped to put this together!
Here they are on Spotify: Songs for Summer Solstice 2021_Jenna Marie PR
What I’m reading
“The Mothers” by Britt Bennett
My “Last Week Look-Back” posts are me at my most honest: an unpolished spewing of reflections and ramblings on - well, whatever comes to mind, really.
I intend to post these at least bi-monthly, but hey - life gets busy. So I hope you’ll check back often, and follow me on Instagram at @wordsby_jennamarie for updates.
I’m so glad you’re here. Thanks for reading!