Welcome to strangers from KCW in Radiotopia. I'm Leah Tao.

And you know, April is the cruelest month. At least it can be. And throughout this past month,

I've thought of all of you, for whom it may have been, no fun. If you're depressed or heartbroken,

there's nothing worse on the thaw and the blossoms and the girls in short dresses and the lovers on park benches, licking melting ice cream

off each other's faces and fingers. It's disgusting, right? It makes your heart ache more

because you remember the times when you felt like that,

when spring made your heart sing as you rode your bike through the woods with the wind and your

hair to meet your friends on the shore, and the sun shone through the leaves in playful patterns.

And there was a slight chill in the air down there in the shade of the trees,

which might have warned you that age and experience would bring darker times and springs ahead

if you hadn't been too innocent or just too happy to notice.

I can't remember exactly when it started to switch for me, probably much earlier than I think,

and too gradually for me to notice all at once.

But worries and work and adult responsibilities and innocence lost diminished the power of spring over the years.

Even in the good years when the thaw still brought much more joy than despair,

it wasn't the same, you know.

But you don't understand the true cruelty of April until you are freshly heartbroken or terribly

depressed.

Just like you don't understand the true beauty of April until you've experienced a magical

spring.

And what's more magical than being in love?

Some of you might have different ideas, and if you do, let me know.

...