Spring is here. Almost

Spring is almost here, and we wanted to dedicate this issue to the season. Our editor, Ania Kaminska, has written a wonderful article about an old Polish tradition of drowning a Marzanna. You’ll find it below.

Spring is also the time for spring cleaning. The Polish Home Association organizes the Polish Home cleaning every spring. Contact PHA to find out if they could use your help.

It’s also a great time to review and maybe change our habits. Yesterday, I noticed that I spent almost four hours on Facebook. Far too long and totally irrational, given that the experience we all crave so much for is not always pleasant. Even though I try to be as polite and factual as I can, I am often bombarded with insults and questionable stories. This makes me angry and defensive. So here is my plea: let us be, this spring, more thoughtful, polite, and listen more. And most importantly, use what I call THE MOST RESPECTFUL INTERPRETATION (MRI).

MRI is a technique that forces us to react to any news, emails, or interactions that we think are hostile (which would be the least respectful) in a different way. It’s simple. Take a breath, digest the information, and try to imagine what the most respectful interpretation would be. In most cases, you’ll find that the MRI is a much better interpretation than our atavistic, defensive one.