It really begins to feel like “spring has sprung” when seemingly overnight, everything turns green. The temperatures are finally on the rise, and the many April (and May) showers have left our lawns and landscaping looking lush and green. It is a good time of year to go outside and “take inventory” to see how your trees, shrubs and plants survived the long, cold winter. You may notice that there are a few in need of some TLC. The ones that seem to survive the best are the evergreens. Not only do they remain green throughout the year, they are able to adapt well whether we have had an especially cold, wet or dry season.
I recently heard a radio interview between Jimmy Kimmel and Howard Stern. The fact that Howard’s show is on satellite radio is one of the reasons that the interviews are so interesting. When you do not have to break for commercials, you are afforded the opportunity to ask the really deep questions and the conversations are often riveting. One of the things that I learned from this recent interview is that “evergreen” does not always refer to the botanical plant that remains green all year and does not lose its leaves. Jimmy Kimmel was telling Howard how he is able to manage his demanding talk show schedule while raising his young family and running several other businesses including restaurants. He mentioned that he and his staff always have segments prepared and ready to go. These previously recorded comedy sketches are called “evergreens” and like the tree variety by the same name, they are fresh and green and always ready to go. I really love this concept. I once had an extra blog written and ready to be published. Several months ago, I was having a particularly busy week and it was a great comfort (and relief) to know that I had that piece “on ice” and ready to post. The key to the “evergreen” concept, as explained by Jimmy and Howard, is that the segment has to be written in a way that it will be relevant and fresh whenever it is used.
What if we applied the evergreen concept to other aspects of our lives? How great would it feel if, like Jimmy Kimmel, you had content available that did not have an expiration date? My husband often says “always have a back-up.” It is a concept that he lives by. He makes sure we always have an extra bottle of vitamins on hand, that all his suits and shirts aren’t at the dry cleaners at once, that our gas tanks are always full, that we never run out of bananas and apples, and that our cars have blankets and first aid kits. Life is definitely less stressful when you always have what you need on hand when you need it.
When we think of evergreen trees, of course Christmas comes to mind. The word “evergreen” also brings to mind the concepts of perpetual life, sustainability and long-lasting energy. If your pantry is stocked with healthy snacks and soups, you have exercise clothes that are fresh and ready to be worn, you never run out of vitamins, and your refillable water bottle is always full, you too will have long-lasting energy and remain “green” all year-round.
While you are taking stock of how well your trees and plants survived the winter weather, take the time to do a personal inventory as well. Now is the perfect time to replenish our pantries, stock our refrigerators with fresh fruit, and have evergreen content that is ready to go when we are. Living like an evergreen tree means that we will be grounded, have deep and strong roots, and not only survive, but also thrive, no matter what the seasons bring.