I love springtime. There is so much to celebrate: Mother’s Day, graduations, my birthday and  May Day.

As a child my favorite holiday was May Day.  Although rarely celebrated now, I remember making a paper basket for my mother, and putting it outside our door, ringing the bell and running and hiding. Very exciting stuff. Springtime also promises new beginnings, growth and rebirth.

Last weekend I spent any time that it was not raining digging in our garden, planting vegetables and herbs. I have optimistically planted watermelons as well, even though I have never been able to get them to grow bigger than a large cherry! I refuse to wear garden gloves, as the best part is playing in the dirt and getting my hands dirty. 

Now every evening when I get home from work, the first thing I do is go to the garden and measure the growth, check out my seedlings and make sure all are doing well.  (Chasing and yelling at rabbits is another thing I have been doing, but that is probably a different story!)  I can’t wait to get my first tomatoes.

What we do together at the North Carolina Community Foundation is a lot like planting a garden in so many ways. It’s for the future, it offers hope and shows us promise. 

An endowment is a seed that is planted for the future.  Your commitment to helping to grow North Carolina is reflected in your generosity.

One of my favorite quotes is, of course, related to growth:  “The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.”  Nelson Henderson said this, and I like to repeat it whenever I can. It illustrates the promise that generosity delivers now – and in the future.

Happy spring!