Among the many things that I enjoy about running, walking, and biking outdoors for exercise is experiencing the seasons.

This is especially the case here in the upper Midwest where we have four distinct ones to experience—spring, summer, fall, and winter.

I can’t say that I have a favorite season—OK, it’s probably summer!—but I can say that I have a favorite part of one. It’s early spring when the trees, plants, and flowers start blooming.

Seeing them come to life in such colorful fashion after looking so drab and lifeless all winter is always super uplifting.

That has been especially true for me this spring because this past winter was a tough one. In mid-January I had to say goodbye to my best buddy Caleb, a 14 and a half-year-old dog.

It was a loss that hit me hard. Not only did it make me sad, it made the landscape appear especially gray and barren this past winter when I was out for my morning run.

That is why the spring bloom has been especially sweet this year. It is a welcome reminder that even after a long, dark winter God brings us new life in the spring.