Kesäkuu

June, or Kesäkuu in Finnish, is when things really begin to grow in the Upper Peninsula. The final snow melts in early May and then a few warmer days finally spur the trees to bud and the ground to begin to warm.

I always feel like spring is slow in coming here as the world needs to be liberated from the deep blanket of snow, and then the sun needs to penetrate the cold ground. It’s as if the plants and trees need time to awaken from their slumber like a grouchy child awakening from a long nap. But then, seemingly overnight, the energy returns, and the debris left by fall and winter is replaced by lush greens once again!

Apple trees are some of the first trees to show off their blossoms, Michigan’s state flower. Always a welcome sight, the white blooms often with a pinkish center have a sweet smell, not overpowering, but a subtle, refreshing scent.

Like so many things, the apple blossoms are fleeting. One day you look and they are big and beautiful, covering every branch. Then within a few days they have totally disappeared. Vanished. As if they never existed at all, except for a faint, lingering scent.

They remind us, I guess, that fleeting things bring us fleeting joy. True happiness must be built on a sturdy foundation of our loves, passions, and beliefs. Our happiness should never depend on something we may lose. Or never find at all.

🫶