It’s hard not to smile as I tramp through a meadow sprinkled with dandelions and buttercups. Upon my approach, a pair of robins fly onto a nearby apple tree, pink blossoms sprinkling down from its branches. For the first time since last spring, I can feel the sun on the back of neck.

A warm breeze carries with it the scent of honeysuckle as I draw closer to the stream. The delicate petals of violets, bluets, and wild geraniums add touches of soft color along the path leading down to the water...