Spring is Finally Here!

It’s true. Spring has sprung!

It happened on Tuesday–the official 1st day of Spring. I know this because that’s what it says on my kitchen calendar. Yes, I still have a simple old-fashioned wall calendar constructed out of paper and cardboard. I use my iPhone for important events and appointments, but I like the graphics and colors on the wall calendar. I buy one every year at BookBuyers. This one titled Inspire has a wonderful thought-provoking quote for each month.

My favorite is: Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new beginning. (Author Unknown)

Spring is a new beginning. There’s so much more to the arrival of spring than a calendar notation. Spring is a state of mind. It’s a time of renewal. Don’t believe me? On your next walk, note the colorful flowers making appearances all over town–daffodils and tulips, azaleas and primroses. Breathe in their sweet fragrance.

Spring is a poet’s muse, musicians sing about it, and sports fans cheer because it means the start of spring training and March Madness. Don’t you just love seeing those low seed teams take down the big guys? I do.

Not into sports? What about spring-cleaning? For me this is the time of year I think about straightening out my closet and clearing out the accumulated junk in my garage. For college kids it Spring Break. (Some things never change.)

We spring forward with Daylight Savings. I’m still adjusting. Every night I think it’s earlier than it is and by the time I get around to fixing dinner it’s late. Yikes, the other night I ate at nine o’clock!

Spring means warmer weather and lighter clothes. Wait, warm weather made a spotty appearance a few weeks ago and then disappeared. Maybe you’ve heard the saying about the first day of spring being one thing, and the first spring day being another–the difference between them can sometimes be as great as a month. Heck, I’m wearing Uggs and a down vest this week and from Moffett Field golf course you can still see snow on Mt. Hamilton.

But there’s one thing that definitely says spring to me.

On the street where I live (isn’t there a song in there somewhere?) ornamental pear trees stand naked all winter. Then spring arrives and the bare leafless branches sprout small green buds followed by cluster upon cluster of blossoms that seem to burst open overnight creating a fairyland setting. Now the trees are laden with brilliant snow-white blooms and tiny petals rain down on every surface like new-fallen snow. The soft, powdery kind of snow you want to lie down in and make snow angels.

Yes, the petals are messy. They creep under the garage door and stick on the wheels of my car. I’m constantly sweeping my garage floor so the petals won’t track inside the house. But the mess doesn’t last long. And I don’t really mind because my grandkids love the petals.

They like to scuff their feet in them as the walk to my mailbox, and once the petals arrive they beg me to turn on my leaf blower and make the petals whoosh over their heads creating a magical storm. When I do, they run through the swirling eddies of falling petals with arms outstretched, laughing and screaming. For me, those moments and sounds mark the arrival of spring.

Sigh, while I’ve been writing, petals have been falling. It’s time to sweep. Again. But before I go, I want to share one last springtime verse with you.

The wind told the grasses,
and the grasses told the trees.
The trees told the bushes,
and the bushes told the bees.
The bees told the robin,
and the robin sang out clear:
Wake up!
Wake up!
Spring is finally here!

Whatever awakens spring in you, enjoy it while it lasts.