“As spring approached, the crocuses emerged from their winter slumber. The tiny buds pushed through the cold, hard ground, the first signs of renewal after the harsh winter. I felt a spark of hope each time I saw a tiny flower tip break through the soil. Each purple petal would push toward the sky and unfold, a promise of warmer days ahead. The crocuses gave me hope that even though we had been through the harshest winter yet, spring would still come.”