Okay already, this rain can stop any time, please! It’s another rainy day in the lower mainland, at least in my neck of the urban woods. Thank goodness we had a sunny break in February when we went to Arizona. We had unseasonably hot and sunny weather there, according to the locals we spoke to. We came home to rain and it feels like it’s been raining since then, even though there have been clear breaks with weak sunshine here and there. I know those breaks have occurred because it was then that the frigging crows in our neighbourhood tried to build their frigging nests on our building again. Okay, breathe. That’s not what this entry is about.
When the days become longer it feels so good to wake to sunshine. It invigorates you, it makes you want to leap out of bed to take on the day. When you wake to overcast skies with the sound of rain on your windows, you want to pull the covers up and stay in bed. When you do finally get up, that mood lingers. Most rainy days find me on the couch with my Kindle, or my script, and cup of tea. I feel half asleep all the time; the sound of the rain is soporific. And even when I venture out in the rain (which I must do, for if I wait until the rain stops I may never leave the house again) the sound of the raindrops falling on my umbrella slows my steps. There is no spring in Spring this year. We are all dragging our feet, feeling more like Eeyores than Tiggers. My colourful Spring clothing hangs in my closet or lies folded in my drawers. I’m still gravitating towards my long-sleeved, warm tops, and I’m wearing socks. I don’t like wearing socks but I don’t like cold feet either.
So how do we get through such a miserable Spring? How do we get over our instincts to continue our Winter hibernation? Well, we take advantage of the little breaks in the weather to get outside. We put on gumboots and raincoats and pop open our umbrellas and we walk in the rain. We stop and revel in the Spring flowers that are blooming around us, and we bring Spring flowers home with us from the grocery store. We put on bright colours and we pack our Winter blacks and greys away. We start eating lighter meals, full of fresh vegetables and fruit. We banish Winter and we force Spring into our homes, lives, bodies and souls.
Spring brings hope. It is literally a rebirth every year, the start of new things after the dormancy of Winter. Even if it’s cold and rainy in April, it’s still Spring. And we can make it feel more like Spring by adding colour to our lives, by ramping up our activities and changing our mindset. The daffodils and tulips are blooming, as are the camellias, magnolias and rhododendrons. The cherry blossoms are pinking up, getting ready to emerge.
Okay, I’ve convinced myself. My Winter butt is getting off this couch and going outside. And when I get back I’m changing out of my long-sleeved black top into something lighter and brighter. And if I’m a little cold I’ll put on that pink summer-weight sweater I have. Yes, it’s time for us to force Spring since it appears Mother Nature is still on her Winter vacation in the sun, lounging around the pool and sipping drinks with umbrellas. I’ll resist calling her a nasty name and just pick up her slack.
