Lighter mornings make me feel joyful. The sun creeping around the shutters and through the curtains gives me hope that the day will go well, and I wake up eager to get started. Thankfully, the succession of dark, wintry mornings might just be over, and I sense the bright hope of spring.

As my previous newsletters have attested, I have gone through a dark writing season. Interviewing girls who have experienced profound trauma was tough. But I have moved on a little and am now speaking to the unsung heroes standing up against persecution and violence. It has been a welcome relief; I sense the light.