Last week, Amy Paturel ran a contest to give away free entry into her e-course Essay Writing: How to Find the Story in You — and Sell It, which starts on May 3.

Here’s what Amy says:

First, thank you so much for your submissions. The competition was fierce — so fierce, in fact, that I had to develop criteria and score the top six submissions to decide on a winner. For those of you who are interested, the criteria were:

Compelling Topic
Relevance to Theme (spring)
Quality Writing
Clear Take Home Message

And with a score of 18.5 the winner is ….

Cara Holman!!!

Also, I would like to extend a 10 percent discount (for either the basic or premium level courses) to the two runners up (with scores of 18): Jesaka Long and Anna Levy.

Cara gave us permission to post her entry. Here it is — thanks for sharing this, Cara.

The Promise of Spring

Spring for me has also been about rebirth. Rebirth and hope and leaves coming back on the trees. Crocuses bravely poking their heads through still partially frozen ground. Spring is rain puddles and fat pink earthworms stretching out languorously on the wet pavement. And spring is also the season where I pause to reflect on my parents’ lives.

Two years ago, when I lost both my parents in rapid succession— Mom in late winter, and Dad just as the petals of the Kousa dogwood were beginning to unfurl— I felt I could never be fully happy again. But time, that great healer, has softened the edges of my sorrow. This morning when I awoke to a world suffused in the greens, and pinks, and violets of spring, my heart lifted and I felt gratitude once again— gratitude for the promise of spring, and gratitude for the unconditional love that my parents’ showered on me all those years— love that cloaks me still.

If you liked that post, you might also like:

• What does the end look like?
• Win Free Entry into Amy Paturel’s Essay Writing E-Course
• How to Work Less
• Winner of the Wednesday Fun Contest
• Rant: On Ickiness (Or Those Who Can’t Do, Teach)