Cherry blossoms are bursting with color and kayaks are being taken out of storage.

It’s soon to be summer in the San Juans – which means tourist season is just around the corner.

Treating our visitors kindly is something we all need to practice. We know tourists are a major stimulus for our economy, but sometimes it’s difficult to be welcoming when the check-out lines are longer and bicyclists take up part of the road. And for those working in local businesses, their customer service skills need to be top notch. If tourists have a positive experience here, they are more likely to return. And bring their friends.

We’d also like to remind our community to treat locals with that same courtesy. For those of us who live here year-round, we rely on each other to keep our businesses afloat. And for many, shopping and eating locally is a daily habit. Let’s reward that.

When it takes longer to purchase your groceries or find a parking place, remember to take a deep breath and be grateful for the visitors who came all the way here to enjoy a place we call home 365 days of the year.

And make sure to smile at your fellow islanders.