Today, temperatures rarely climbed above ten degrees Celsius. Seeing the sunshine outside, I couldn’t help setting down my work and stepping out for a walk.
On warmer days like this, small creatures come out one by one: I spotted a squirrel, busily searching for acorns, and heard the cheerful chirping of sparrows. Alongside the little animals, plenty of people had emerged, too. The path was full of passersby soaking up the afternoon sun.
I wandered over to the nearby lake. Some parents had brought their children to play in the sandbox by the water; a little kid on an electric scooter whizzed past me; and older kids rode their bikes with wide grins stretched across their faces.
Ah, they must have been cooped up just as long as I had. Finally able to come out and breathe, smiles impossible to hold back.
Beyond the children, there were also some young adults jogging along the lakeside. Dressed in fitted athletic shirts and bright-colored running shoes, not even the muddy ground could slow their confident, steady strides. Some had brought their dogs along — one Bernese Mountain Dog with a pair of bright, clever eyes gently set down the stick it had been carrying, waiting for its owner behind to pick it up and throw it forward, then trotted off happily to retrieve its beloved little branch.
There were also elderly people walking in pairs — some who looked like couples, others like old friends. Older folks walk with slower, more careful steps, and tend to dress in more layers. Every now and then one would pass by with a warm smile and a friendly hello. Oh, and equally unhurried were new parents, gently pushing their strollers — a moment that felt like it could last forever.
I made my way to the far end of the lake where fewer people ventured, and the view opened up. The once-frozen surface had become uneven and broken, and the reeds along the bank had begun to poke their heads out. Patches of half-melted ice clinging to them like marshmallows on hot cocoa, soft and quietly delightful. It was hard to imagine that not long ago this lake had been one solid block of ice, solid enough to skate on.
For a lake to freeze that deep, it takes not one cold day, but many cold days, weeks, and months. Even so, for the sun, melting a lake is no great task — warm it day by day, week by week, month by month, and it will thaw in time.
Do we focus on the cold, or on the warmth? Do we see the present moment, or eternity?
An afternoon walk to shake off the chill and welcome the first hints of spring.
NB: This article was first published in Chinese on 02/16/26. It was later translated with assistance from AI tools, edited by me, and published in English on 05/01/26.