Spring… ah. It sounds lovely, but it’s such a tease. In the Midwest the seasons are a one-sided relationship in which Mother Nature is definitely the dominate.
Truly Spring can be quite lovely. Today is the perfect example, the sun is shining, there is a breeze and the temp is hovering right above 80 degrees. Maybe it is a bit warm for Spring per se, but it is beautiful.
In a few days it is supposed to be in the 90’s. Yep. That’s right. Nine. Zero.
This weekend, they are forecasting 50’s and rain.
Tell me Mother Nature doesn’t wear leather and carry a whip… To each their own.
Anyone that knows me knows that I live for Fall! I love ALL of it! The crisp air, the falling leaves, football, bonfires…
ALL of it!
A distant second is Spring.
Spring is always a new beginning. I am a creature of habit, soooo… eh.
Seriously, new beginnings are great. It’s a time to set new goals or maybe adjust old ones. It’s a time to make new friends, try new things, get your hands dirty.
As aforementioned though, I am a creature of habit and I feel obligated to pass on a piece of advice. The shiny and new will always catch your eye, it will always capture your imagination, it will always be the “IN” thing to do. Please remember where you take comfort, with whom you belong, with whom you feel loved and appreciated.
Those people are your Fall. They are the extra-long hugs, the comfy cardigans, the bonfires and smores of your existence. They make you who you are. They make you appreciate what you have. They make you whole.
I have my family and some very special friends that I have handpicked that are my Fall. I don’t get to see them every day or even talk to them every day, but they are always in my heart. They are always in my head.
Sometimes when I need a good laugh, I can imagine myself sitting at Shaun and Angela’s table gossiping with Miss Kimmy while drinking a few adult beverages, when she pauses to point out how silly she feels because she thought she saw someone in the patio door and at that exact moment that so called imaginary person opened the door and she about fell out of her chair. This was quite a while ago… yet it still makes me giggle like a schoolgirl. Oh, Kimmy!
More recently, the tale of Nathan and his work boots. It’s not even that funny, but I was having a really bad day and it made me laugh more than it should have, and it continues to do so. So, thanks for that Nathan.
And then there are times when you just plain question your faith or humanity or mankind. I don’t remember the exact circumstance, but I do remember it was a Thanksgiving Holiday not too many years after we had moved to Nebraska, and I was seriously questioning my faith in a lot of ways. Our family had experienced a rough few years. We lost our home in a housefire, my dad to Alzheimer’s and my sister in a car accident. It was hard to be optimistic. I remember pulling up in front of our house and thinking I wasn’t ready to go in. I definitely wasn’t feeling thankful. I wanted to talk to my sister. I wanted to talk to Sue. I took a deep breath and went to turn the car off and the song came on the radio.
I paused.
I laughed.
I cried.
And then I sang that damn song as loud as I could, just like her and I did, over and over, when she came to Nebraska, and I bought the cd. I swear she hit repeat 20 freakin’ times.
Ironically, or not, the song was “I’m alright”.
I don’t know what I believe, but I know that in that moment I believed it was Sue giving me the extra-long hug that I needed. It was Sue making me whole.
So appreciate Spring and celebrate those new beginnings. Have your fun in the sun! Fall in love with Fall!!!
(Winter sucks!)
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