Steve Frey
Congratulations! You survived the “Ides of March” and St. Patrick’s Day celebrations already this month, so you’ve made it to a pretty fantastic day in the New River Valley and around the world: Today’s the first day of spring!
It’s been a long, cold, rainy winter, but we have warmer weather and blue skies on the way. Here comes the sun, as George Harrison used to sing! It isn’t just the first day of spring though. No, there’s a lot more going on today than that.
It’s International Earth Day. Yes, in the United States we celebrate Earth Day on April 22, but today is the official Earth Day for many other countries around the world where it is celebrated on the first day of spring. You can’t have too many Earth Days, can you?
In the NRV, we are fortunate to have many beautiful rivers, streams and mountains all around us. Radford, Virginia’s River City, will soon see the New River dotted with inner tubes and kayaks. Residents and visitors will be traveling through Giles County, Virginia’s Mountain Playground, and hiking the Cascades Trail. Bikers will be hitting the Huckleberry Trail in Blacksburg and Christiansburg or the New River Trail near Pulaski. Yes, the NRV is defined by these outdoor activities and so much more.
That’s probably why some people expressed concerns at the last two Radford City Council meetings about the possible pollution and unsightly view the proposed scrap metal/wire/electronics recycling facility may produce on Main Street in Radford and along the most important natural attraction in the city—the river. People care about keeping their environment clean and beautiful on days other than just Earth Day!
The focus on Earth Day will be in April, but here is some food for thought from Rick Steves, the international PBS tour guide, to consider today: “These days, simply sightseeing in Europe you learn that climate change is not a theory — it’s a reality. In England’s Portsmouth, floodgates are being built on medieval streets that never needed them before. The Swiss (who don’t build ski lifts these days without plumbing them to make snow) remember summer skiing in the Alps as something their parents did. And the Dutch — famously smart, famously frugal, and famously below sea level — are spending billions of euros to shore up their dikes and prepare for a rising sea.”
It would seem that Norfolk, Tangier Island and other communities along the coasts of the United States are not the only places concerned about our changing environment.
In a related note, Mayor David Horton shared at the last city council meeting that Radford was once again designated as a Tree City USA community by the Arbor Day Foundation. In our area, Blacksburg also has attained that honor for many years.
There are four core standards a city must meet to obtain the coveted Tree City USA status, including “maintaining a tree board or department, having a community tree ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry and celebrating Arbor Day.” Along with Radford, about 3,400 communities across the United States have made this commitment to the environment
Did you know that today is also the International Day of Happiness? Yes, there is such a day, and it was approved unanimously by the member states of the United Nations in 2012.
Here are some celebration suggestions from a website: Start the day off with a happy thought – no negativity. Ask friends and family for a list of music, art, books, and activities that make them feel happy. Pledge to intentionally focus on the good parts of each day. Volunteer to help others [since] research shows that doing good leads to feeling good. Do something to make yourself happy–ride a bike, have a picnic, relax with a good book. I’m sure you can find something to make yourself a little happier today!
By the way, Finland now tops the list in global happiness rankings, followed closely by Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland and the Netherlands? Sadly, the United States ranks 18th in the world, “falling four spots from last year and five from two years ago — in part because of the ongoing epidemics of obesity, substance abuse and untreated depression.” It seems the U.S. needs that International Day of Happiness!
Finally, today is the beginning of the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC. In 1912, Japan presented the United States with 3,000 cherry trees symbolizing lasting friendship between the two countries.
Cherry blossoms, also known as sakura in Japan, are highly symbolic. Their short, gorgeous blossoming time before falling away illustrates how life is overwhelmingly beautiful, but also fragile and all too short.
On the bright side, however, there’s the Michael Altshuler quote to ponder: “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.”
All of these celebrations today are connected, aren’t they? We should appreciate the beauty of life all around us as we experience the natural renewal of spring. We should also find happiness in the fact that we have this day, this passing moment, to enjoy. It is, indeed, a priceless gift to be cherished, and it will not come again.
Steve Frey is a writer and CEO of Ascendant Educational Services based in Radford.