things i know about Spring

Springtime is not just a time or season. It is truly a frame of mind that brings with it a new, refreshing feeling inside. As the snow begins to melt and the cold winds become warmer, there is a spirit that comes alive in each of us. The now dirty snow that has been shoveled from the roads and stacked in parking lots is replaced by color. The rain comes and washes the remaining remnants of winter away and brings in hues of red and purple and yellow and blue and of course green.
We watch as the bulbs we planted so tenderly last fall become stalks of green leaves. Leaves that hide from us the beautiful flowers that will emerge from them as the suns warmth touches them.We smile at the birds that have come back fly by us upside down and twirling to try and impress a potential mate. The males in their brilliant colors of red and blue and orange strut proudly amongst the available females. The females watching and interacting with them to find that perfect mate.
We ourselves, as the temperature climbs, feel empowered and renewed. The desire to reach out and embrace the warmth and all that springtime offers comes to life within us. The gloomy feeling inside that was a result of the winters grasp on us releases it's hold on our physical and mental attitude. There are screens to wash and windows to clean. The house can be opened and aired out as the suns warmth that now fills our homes replace the stale air of fabricated warmth of our furnaces.
Talk of gardening and what to plant is now our topic of discussion. The cheery sounds outside bring with them a happy feeling inside of our souls.The smell of fresh grass and the fragrance of old limbs and branches that fell prey to the winter being burned fills our nostrils. Squirrels playing tag on the trees outside make us smile and laugh at their antics.
The effect of springtime on our mental health is more than any medicine can do. It gives to us the feeling that we have survived one more winter. Working in our yards or cleaning out the shed out back gives our minds a place to be. Our thoughts are now clear as Spring reaches out from plants and trees and new growth all around us. We have a new view of the days to come and leap out of bed to greet the sunlight. People around us are smiling again and those smiles transfer nicely from one person to another. As more people smile the attitude of the whole Spring filled community begins to take on those life giving smiles. Our entire out look is fresh and new and filled with the anticipation of things to come. Fishing, sailing, hiking, baseball and smells of Bar-B-Que grills saturate our minds and our hearts. Weight carried over from winter now sheds as we walk and run and play games outside with our family. Springtime is mind cleansing, house cleansing, yard cleansing and filled with the splendor of it all.
Last but certainly not least in any way are the hours of sunlight we are now afforded. It is a medical fact that the more sunlight we absorbed, the better our bodies and souls react. In that I mean that when the sun is seen less in the winter, depression sets in for a huge number of people. The longer days of springtime help us to face the days ahead with a better frame of mind. Springtime... Ahhhhhh.