My grandma used to tell me about her Aunt Jenny, who was so soft and sweet. She loved
Spring and said that she wanted to live just long enough to see the flowers bloom again, and she did. Aunt Jenny made it to just that one more Spring.
No one hated winter as much as my grandma. She loved the Spring and Summer, and as soon
as the weather would finally be consistently warm and beautiful, she would start fretting about it
getting cold again. If I’d say, “It’s so nice today”, she’d tell me, “Yeah, but it will be snowing
again soon.” She left us in August–one day before her birthday–and I sometimes like to think
that she just decided she was not putting up with one more winter in West Virginia. Everything
always was on her terms.
This is my roundabout way of saying, in Appalachia, we welcome spring like living. The little
green buds are just starting to come up on the lilac trees in my yard (my grandma’s lilac trees in
what was her yard) and I am starting to feel as though I can take deep breaths again. Maybe
winters are hard so we can really appreciate Spring and Summer. We are permitted that joy of
seeing popping greens, little purple crocuses breaking through dirt, promises of porch sitting
and warm walks.
We are happy to bring you a little spring with the latest issue of Change Seven, featuring an
interview with the incredible (and hilarious) Robert Gipe, poetry to melt the frosty winter heart,
and prose that will ask you to sit outside and savor both the words and the sun. We hope you
enjoy, and welcome Spring.
~Natalie
Change Seven Magazine 