The shimmering oppressive humidity in North Carolina can stop your breath for a moment when you walk outside. It takes a few moments to adjust, to pause in order to take in the change from air conditioning. Then the air pressure and moisture regulates, and I can feel the slight breeze, the sound of squirrels chittering, the swoop of hawk and mate nearby, the birdsongs.

The capacity to open to the season brings joy in many small ways.

For this season of Summer, here’s a gorgeously animated gift…of an amaryllis bulb.

Bloom from Emily Johnstone on Vimeo.

The fuller story can be found here: https://www.themarginalian.org/2020/02/27/bloom-depression/. Here’s to Emily Johnstone and the students of San Jose State University’s Animation/Illustration Department of Design in CA for bringing this story to others’ lives. Light from the darkness, people.