Spring always comes 

By Yeongin Jung, MD, MHS, Johns Hopkins Observership Program, with Carolina Musri, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine 

I’m a doctor from South Korea currently in the Hospital Medicine Observership Program at Johns Hopkins on the journey to become a physician in the U.S. I started at Johns Hopkins a few years ago when I completed my master’s at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. During this time, I had the opportunity to take a songwriting class at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins, a prestigious music conservatory.

Here’s a song I wrote and performed: “Spring or love.” One thing to know for the piece is that the word “bom” is Korean for “spring.” The lyrics are below.

It’s 15 hours away from home
I’ve been lonely for so long
And the chill of winter’s been so bold
I’ve been drowning in the cold 

Then I feel the breeze of gentle touch
so I peek out through the door
There I find a sprout and plum blossom
oh it’s coming of the bom 

Oh spring like a sweetened love
or is it love, where the breeze is from
Love hold me close
wake me up from wintry dreams tonight
Oh spring like a sweetened love
or is it love, where the green is from
Love hold me close
wake me up from wintry dreams tonight 

It’s been a week after we met
I’ve been smiling all along
And the scent of your perfume’s pure gold
I’ve been keeping it on hold
Thought I was alone left with the cold
But I hear a ring on the door
There I find you standing with no coat
Oh it’s coming of the bom 

Oh spring like a sweetened love
or is it love, where the breeze is from
Love hold me close
wake me up from wintry dreams tonight
Oh spring like a sweetened love
or is it love, where the grin is from
Love hold me close
wake me up from wintry dreams tonight 

Oh it’s coming of the bom
And it’s coming of the love. 

In the middle of winter, when the days feel long and gray, it’s easy to wonder if spring will ever come again. But it always does. The wind slowly turns warm, sunlight shines through the trees, and little by little, a quiet sense of hope begins to grow again.  

In patient care, there are may be times when things feel similarly frozen. Winter can take many forms: the slow progress of a patient, the challenge of building trust with a patient, or the quiet exhaustion from the relentless pace of clinical work. In these moments, it may feel as though your own spring is out of reach. 

But rest assured: spring always comes. 

It returns in stillness, quietly and steadily, and reminds us that even the longest winters don’t last forever. Consistent efforts caring for patients are never in vain.  

Listen to the song on YouTube or Spotify.

This piece expresses the views solely of the author. It does not necessarily represent the views of any organization, including Johns Hopkins Medicine.