Stop and Smell the Roses

Stop and smell the roses is an idiom reminding us to take time out of our busy schedules to appreciate the moment and notice the beauty all around us. (I recently learned that it’s a paraphrasing of a quote by golfer Walter Hagen, who said “Don't hurry. Don't worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.”) However, it is at this time of year that I take that expression literally. I love to pause to drink in the fragrance of spring flowers on my walks; lilacs are my favourites, their smell taking me back to fond childhood memories of lilac trees in my neighbourhood reawakening and filling with blossoms. 

Smelling the flowers isn’t the only thing that I enjoy about spring. It’s a season of renewal and hope, and this spring, that renewal is reflected in the long-awaited "rebirth" of beloved Greenwood traditions. This May and June see the return of events like Spirit Day, live Greenwood Mic performances, Outdoor Education, spring athletics and much more. These events don’t look exactly the same as they have in previous years, and that’s okay. They reflect how far we have come in the past two years, and the resilience and ingenuity students and staff alike have shown in preserving and bolstering community spirit. (Incidentally, many of these events also come with their own nostalgia-inducing scents — I’m looking forward to the smell of fresh-cut, dewy grass at Serena Gundy Park on Friday morning.) 

Last week, after 893 days, we again welcomed a live audience to our theatre to watch our production of High School Musical. In addition to being a wonderful performance (congratulations to the cast and crew!), this was another heartening sign of transformation as we emerge from the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. We have dearly missed welcoming our wider community inside our walls, and we look forward to finding more opportunities to do so.

It’s going to be a busy few weeks as school draws to a close — and after two years of quiet springs, it feels so wonderful to say that.