When I was growing up, Maybrwas a busy month for activities of all varieties. Now, it seems that while thebrbusyness has continued, my wonder in the natural beauty of this lovely monthbrhas grown with each passing year.
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My sport through high schoolbrwas figure skating, and our local rink held its Spring Ice Show at the end ofbrMay. Evening and weekend rehearsals, costume sewing and excitement about thebrshow filled the month. My schedule was also filled with homework and projects,brafterschool clubs, test prep and the anticipation of summer vacation. Outside,brit was bike-riding season, and by high school (no license until late in seniorbryear) my red Montgomery Ward 10-speed with the skinny tires and drop handlebarsbrgot me pretty much everywhere.
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May startedbrour home gardening season, and my mom was busy with flats of annuals for ourbrcity yard. She’d get out the little green bench my grandfather had craftedbryears ago, the trowel, a bucket of water and a cup. Then we’d move down thebrsidewalk along the fence where she’d dig the planting hole, I’d add water,brshe’d plant the seedling and I’d water it in. My folks would plant thebrtomatoes, peppers and lettuce in the garden by the garage a little later inbrMay, and also help my dad’s mother with her city garden and my mom’s parentsbrwith their Antioch veggie garden.
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May is the busiest month forbrcolorful, migrating birds in the Midwest. An avid, lifetime birdwatcher, my mombralways had her binocs and bird books at the ready. Longtime readers may recallbrme mentioning once that she wrote the principal a note to please excuse mybrbeing late to grade school because we were watching a migrating Scarlet Tanagerbrin a tree. I kid you not, and itbrwas accepted. I still have her Nikon binoculars and well-worn fieldbrguides—along with my own birding books and phone apps (Merlin Bird ID is abrpersonal fav).
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This month in Natural Awakenings Chicago, we’re celebrating Women’s Wellness Month, with a focusbron how stress and anxiety can affect health, and lifestyle adaptations tobrbetter thrive in our complex, busy world. In our main feature, Linda Sechristbrinterviews current thought leaders in women’s health for tips and lifestylebrapproaches to better manage stress and increase resiliency. Natural Awakenings and KnoWEwell have teamed with these practitioners for an onlinebrseries of live webinars in which they’ll take a deep dive into stressbrmanagement techniques. To join in the conversation, please check the promo on page 7. I also encourage you to learn more about some of our local women’sbrhealth leaders in this month’s Women Business Owners sections, scatteredbrthroughout this issue.
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If you’d like to get startedbrgardening and bird watching, writer Sheryl DeVore covers both topics as shebrexplores why gardening is good for our health, and then talks with localbrbirding experts on the best ways for novice and experienced birders to catchbrthe wonder of spring migration season. If you’d prefer to get away from thebrChicago area for a relaxing weekend north of the border, Lisa Kivirist takes usbron a road trip to Elkhart Lake and the Kettle Moraine region of Wisconsin. Ofbrcourse, we feature plenty of nutritious and delicious recipes to help balance our hormones and reduce diet-related inflammatory stress responses.
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As always, I encourage you to please stepbroutside each day and experience this month with all of your senses. Despite thebrhectic pace of the month, try to consciously stop to smell the flowers, wrapbryourself in early morning birdsong as it fills the air, enjoy a spring rain,brplant a container garden, sample spring vegetables fresh from a farmers marketbror CSA and share your seasonal joy and awe with others.
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Happy Spring! Happy Mother’s Day!
