SPRING IS IN THE AIR

While I was driving home from work yesterday, I saw it.  The trees are beginning to bud.  There’s no denying it, life is beginning to pulsate through the trees, the shrubs, and I’ve seen a few flowers appear in the oddest places.  While Jaffrey (Dr. Maurer’s dog and my best friend slash boyfriend) and I take walks, Jaffrey loves to find the random flowers amongst the ivy and weeds and leave his mark on them.  I suppose it’s his small way of showing appreciation to the newness sprouting all around us.

I lived in Louisiana most of my life; I only moved to New York in 2007.  In Louisiana, the cold weather would come and go during the winter months.  Louisiana would definitely get cold, but it wouldn’t stay cold.  As a Louisiana girl, I could wear shorts many times during the winter, and I was able to spend a great deal of time outside year round.  I suppose one of the biggest adjustments to living in New York, especially this year, has been getting quality time outside during the winter.  I’ve always known that fresh air, sunshine, and nature are as vital to me as bathing, and being stuck inside for the last few months has been taxing.  I always enjoyed spring when living down south, but now as a northerner not only do I enjoy spring, but I also appreciate it so much more.

I notice the renewal that spring brings now more than I’ve ever before.  I truly see the brown turf turning into a sparkling, green field; I can’t wait to see that special lily show its color amongst the twigs and branches that have fallen during the winter storms;  and watching the trees come to life is nothing short of a miracle.

Yes, I miss the Louisiana winters, but the spring rewards make New York winters bearable.  My challenge for you is to find new appreciation for something that you love.  I’ve decided that a bitterly cold winter exists to make spring feel so much better.

Spring leads to summer which leads you to the gates of Wa-Klo…

The mountain changes every day,

Susan Chenet