Feels like wildfire season all over the world — I mean, this morning, even Pope Francis died, for God’s sake. A history buff might tell you it’s always wildfire season in human land. But it’s definitely been extra WILD, right?

And yet, and yet, the sun deigned to come out this past week, even in the ever-grumpy Washington State, and even in the ever-busy NYC, where I got to spend some of my spring break with my beloved eldest kid and company.

NYC recharged me like a battery. The first American city I’d stepped into off the plane from Russia back in 1993. I’ve lived all over since then, but that city will always be home.

Lately, I got too swept up into travels and routines, swept up in trying to make a difference and trying new things, swept up in growing pains and pleasures — just got too swept up to mark Passover properly. Forget not eating bread, I didn’t manage to ingest a single bite of matza this year! Yikes!

Then again, it’s always Passover over here in Katia-land: I’m forever on my way to greater freedom. As flowers lift their heads out of the earth and blooms break through the branches, come high water or hellfire, here’s my personal Declaration of Independence.

• This year I’m breaking free from trying to grasp areas of life I have no business controlling.
• I’m breaking free from clutching at life bits, from looking over my shoulder.
• I’m breaking free by daring to write this, whether it makes sense or no.
• I’m breaking free of other people’s judgement of me, and my own; I’m breaking free by being true.
• I’m breaking free by letting go.

This year I celebrated Passover with my kind and brilliant NYC author friend Lyn Miller-Lachmann by dining at a Palestinian restaurant in the Village called Ayat. I had never tried Palestinian food before — have you? God, it was SO light, so healthy, and so delicious! Mediterranean meets magic. Mmmmmmmm.

I am wishing us all true freedom this spring. Us individually, and the world as a whole. Freedom from prejudice, freedom from judgement of self and others, freedom from unconditional hatred. Freedom from heavy expectations, freedom from societal bullshit that we have the bad habit of making our own, and one of its toxic offspring: perfectionism. Freedom from violence. Freedom for every human life to be honored, freedom for every person in the world to build a life that they deserve by simply being on this planet, freedom for all to live and worship (or not worship), to sleep and eat, to hang out and celebrate, to love each other and raise children in prosperity and peace. And actual political freedom for every human under the sun — I’m wishing for it so hard right now.

Happy spring, belated Chag Sameach, and love, always.

Katia