The days are finally warming up, awakening the Earth and revealing its full beauty. People are going out more, and life finally feels a little better.

I’ve already started to make plans with some of my friends, and others have begun living as though summer started yesterday. All of this buzzing around and engagement really reminded me of what I’ve been missing.

The cold of winter has a way of numbing you to the good things in life, like making memories with friends and connecting with the natural world around us. Its darkness and chill instead keeps us indoors, leading us to only go outside when necessary. Apart from the festive holiday season, winter tends to be a time of solitude and hibernation.

On top of winter, the world itself has recently been so chaotic, with a massive amount of human destruction and hatred running rampant. We’ve felt divided as humans these past few months, calling attention to our differences instead of our similarities.

However, I think one of the biggest benefits of warmer weather is that many of us naturally grow more energized and social, now that the sun is smiling down on us. There’s a desire to connect with those that we’ve missed during the winter months, and there are so many options for getting together.

Spring and summer are full of farmers’ markets, thrift stores, concerts, picnics and live entertainment. As humans, it isn’t uncommon to see us coming together to share our love for this Earth and the creativity of our species. You’ll see so many different kinds of people at these events, showing that interests and friendships have the potential to overcome boundaries laid by race, gender, and more.

Human connection is natural during the summer, and I think that especially during these trying times, we need it now more than ever. It’s important to remember that we’re capable of enjoying the things we like while still being in close proximity to those who may not fully think like or agree with us.

Humans are complex and vastly different. Each of our upbringings offers a unique formula for the people we become. We will always have our differences in opinion or values, but when we try to understand each other, we often find that we’re more alike than we are different. Unfortunately, some people tend to seek out those who align with them more than those who don’t. However, I believe our diversity as a species is our strength, not our weakness.

So as we enter these warm seasons, I hope we can enjoy the opportunity of being able to dance and sing under the sun together. Our unity, even with all of us coming from different walks of life, allows us to share the incredible programming of our human condition. The world is already suffering enough — let’s make sure we try to heal our neighbors instead of contributing to the affliction of pain.

I hope you all enjoy these next few months filled with warmth and community. It’s the end of an academic journey for many, including myself, and I hope we can all find the time to celebrate the good things in life. Enjoy the nice weather, everyone, and stay safe!