Easter has past, baseball season is in swing and the throngs of allergy sufferers are beginning to fill the doctors' offices and acupuncturists' tables.  I love Springtime mostly for the dormant bulbs emerging into a colorful floral display, not just for the aesthetic beauty but, for the reward after patiently waiting to learn if my gardening skills would serve me proud. I also love the lively and active birds and just today wondered if the placement of and the food in my bird feeders would attract my favorite my birds.  If I did things "just right" wouldn't everything go my way?  And, so the theme of this issue became clear as I re-read the stories of cancer, lupus and depression survivors who like the bulbs and the birds,  just bloomed and soared, because it is their nature to do so.  Yes, environment and nourishment is integral to enabling your true nature to emerge but, in the end it's "que sera sera" and learning to gracefully accept each moment and stop resisting the Universe then you can allow your true nature to just bloom and soar...without trying. 

Our featured author, Sandy Boucher, lived through year long Stage III colon cancer, surgery and chemotherapy.  She shares her healing journey and use of meditation in her book Hidden Spring: A Buddhist Woman Confronts Cancer.  Sandy continues to live a vibrant and full life leading meditation retreats and writing coaching.  Marsha Jordan, disabled with Lupus and once afflicted with blindness was inspired to start Hugs and Hope, which provides virtual hugs and encouragement to sick children through her web site.  Through Elizabeth Brensinger's vision quest and Joseph Hensley's trek the unspoken lessons from nature led each of them to spiritual nourishment and enlightenment.  Mara Freeman teaches us about the ancient traditions of the Celtic Spiral through prescribing rituals to practice throughout the year.   These writers have chosen to spread joy and love instead of letting the inconvenience of their human frailties defeat them.

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As I write this my wedding day is 25 days away and publishing this webzine has been the perfect remedy for the stress of wedding planning.  Deepak's "Law of Least Effort" spoke loudly to me through his simple anecdote about nature's intelligence teaching us to respect the nature of our being.  "A bird doesn't try to fly, it flies.  A flower doesn't try to grow, it just grows."  Unless you live in a monastery or convent it is challenging to allow ourselves just "to be" rather than "to do".  But, the stories in this issue and Deepak's wisdom has brought a calm to this bridal bulb who was trying to bloom and even make other bulbs bloom, bloom, bloom. The stories and messages in this issue have truly been a blessing and  help to me and I hope they also inspire you.

As always I'm grateful for this webzine and am thrilled with the number of submissions from around the world.  My groom and I will be embarking on a lengthy honeymoon trekking to Machu Picchu in Peru as well as in the Dolomites and Swiss Alps.  I hope to return with stories and photos of our own spiritual outdoor adventure in the Fall issue.

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