Whether it's a bud on a branch, a seed in soil, or just a box of alfalfa sprouts finding their way onto a salad or sandwich, I've been intrigued by sprouts ever since I can remember.  I've seen photos of myself laying near a garden, just marveling at the growth. It might be the magic of new life, the potential of what's to come, or perhaps the amazing concept that everything that the plant is going to be is present in something so fragile.

May has usually meant new staff - we find that the end of a school year does tend to lead to transitions and a need to reset our schedule.  When new people join us here, there is a bit of magic that happens.  New energy, new ideas, new perspectives, all generate a sense of new life within the crew.  This year feels even more unique, coming out of our pandemic-induced staff reductions.  We're adding several staff at once and the infusion feels like the burst of blossoms on our service berry trees at the cafe that appeared over one weekend.  

Like a sprout, the fragility is also very present these days as we re-open to indoor dining and rebuild our barista crew.  This "new" life feels tenuous, iffy, even unsustainable at times.  Can we really come out of this pandemic?  Are we doing what we need to in order to take care of each other and avoid a resurgence of the virus?   How can something so tender and small as a sprout survive the challenges of growing?  I take this seriously when a new staff member joins us and recognize that I need to tend to each new staff member carefully during their first few days.

Because sprouts hold the full potential of a plant, it seems they also offer a sign of hope.  Of course, hope of what's to come is always dependent on what actually takes place along the way. Just as a sprout's potential can be quickly withered away, our own hopes are either nurtured or diminished by events along the way.  I'd like to say that recent events have raised my hopes that a new plant of justice is growing among us and is getting the sunlight and water that might allow it to take deeper root.

And so, I'm noticing new sprouts along the Nicollet Ave boulevard this year with a little different perspective. I'm finding hope in seeing plants return and spread after what felt like a very hard winter.  If they can sprout and grow, perhaps we can too.  Perhaps we can find a way to burst through hard ground and difficult conditions to grow into our full selves.  If I can just get that little sprout to start...

Those last weeks of April were difficult.  I knew I needed to hire and rebuild our barista crew, but because I was the one filling the shifts that I needed to hire into, I couldn't find the time or energy to do the hiring.  As the early buds and blooms began, I watched the world reawaken but felt stuck in my own dark winter.  I could feel the increasing activity but couldn’t get out of the current long enough to get back on course.  With our new staff sprouting up here this week, it finally feels like I can enjoy the new life bursting out all around me.  

This month, it felt like the Green Path was not waiting for me to finally put on my shoes and get out for a walk. The Green Path just keeps sprouting new life, and while looking back over its shoulder, calls to me, let's go!