I am partial to spring and summer. And while some might argue that Los Angeles is in a perpetual state of one or the other, I disagree. Seasons are more than temperatures and precipitation levels.

Spring is a state of mind. Fecund, eager yet timid, fickle. By contrast, summer shouts carpe diem. Demands it. Then September rolls around, serene and sobering. And even in lingering 80-plus-degree temps, I feel my spirits droop. Melancholy rearranges my internal furniture. There’s nothing wrong with melancholy. I’ve learned to embrace it like aged cheese — there can be something nourishing and comforting about its funkiness. We cannot always be bright and cheery. And yet, with so much heaviness over these last two years, I am bursting at the seams for summer.

Aren’t you?

As the flies buzz in, may the COVID virus flee. And even if some manner of masking is here to stay, let this be the summer you peel off more layers and dare to don the bikini that strikes your fancy. Why not?

Life is shockingly short.

In her 2021 inaugural poem, “The Hill We Climb,” local poet Amanda Gorman urged us to prevail over catastrophe. She wrote and recited her poem on the heels of the worldwide Black Lives Matter movement, but when we read her words today, we can project so many more layers onto them, including the global health crisis and its ripple effect in every single area of our lives.

Nevertheless, Gorman affirms our ability to emerge: “When day comes, we step out of the shade/ Aflame and unafraid.”

Spring is already upon us. Buds are flowering. The sun is sticking around longer, reminding us how to become, how to shine no matter what. This issue covers dozens of fun spring events, but we also want you to use it as a springboard to having your best summer yet. Enroll the kids in a summer camp — from local urban farm camps to creative inclusive options.

While we’re enjoying the longer days, let’s shower our Earth with love and consideration, too. Check out our youth activism story to learn about local teens who are leading the way in climate change activism. The pandemic stopped some of their momentum initially, but they went underground (also known as Zoom) to re-strategize —and deepen — their efforts. Now, as Gorman urges, they are stepping “out of the shade.”

As parents, we are so proud of their flame.

May it reignite our own.