I’ve had this recent euphoria with the coming of summer and the heat wave; it’s like falling in love all over again. My lover is the sun and my food is the sweetly pollen-laced air I intake every second. I have the urge to frolick in grassy fields and sleep in the shade of trees. But that’s the thing: I feel safe sleeping now. I don’t feel like the world could end at any second in a storm of killing ice with me swept away by the compassionless winds.

In winter I know the constant nagging essence of it all; the cold air, the lack of humidity, the scarcity of available shelter should the power suddenly die. I am constantly aware of these things just under the surface of consciousness and it begins the first day of snowfall. Now that the spring has arrived I am relieved of my primal anxiety. I feel alive again, my disease(s) is barely holding on by its last thread, and my energy has returned to me at a rapid gait.

I feel capable of loving everything in life. It’s a feeling similar to a prisoner long held and suddenly rushed into sunlight. First it stings his eyes and he is unsure of what to do, but this does not last long. Soon he is walking about the yard with eyes wide open in astonishment and awe as he grasps his newfound freedom and clarity. It’s like a new birth.

So I ask you, my friends, to join in and celebrate the joy of life, energy, and health as you progress with your daily lives. No tribute is required, no deadline is set, and no one need oversee you; simply be aware. Maybe you decide to go on without ceremony and perhaps that is the best way, but we can celebrate together.

Sincerely and Respectfully,

-Lane Thomas Bingham