a day in the life of a latvian mom

Today is the day when, for a brief moment, day and night are exactly the same length. From now on, the days will slowly become longer than the nights. Even if it’s only by a few seconds at a time, the light will gradually win over the darkness.

I’ve always found this day special. It is a day of balance — a moment when nature seems to pause for a second before moving forward toward the light.

But for me, this day also carries another meaning. Today is also our middle daughter’s birthday.

I remember that twelve years ago I had brought branches indoors so they could start budding before Easter. For me, Easter meant the arrival of spring — the first buds, the first green leaves, the return of light.

But that year spring arrived in a very different way.

On March 18. That was the day our second daughter was born. Suddenly, all the other “signs of spring” didn’t feel as important or as real as that one moment. That day became my true beginning of spring.

And I remember realizing that from then on, spring would always be connected with this day.

Twelve years have passed, and only now I suddenly notice that this is also the date when day and night are equal. At least this year.

First year:

To spring.
And to life beginning again and again.

— Ilze