Spring Fever

Anyone who reads this blog regularly (and by regularly, I mean every few months when I get around to writing...I will write more frequently one of these weeks, I swear) knows that I wrote an entry last year about how much I enjoy Fall. The smells, the leaves, the freshness of the air. That still holds true...I do love Fall. But after a particularly unpleasant (and noticeably depressing) Winter, I have a renewed appreciation for the glory of a beautiful Spring.

There is something almost tangible about the way that Spring brightens the spirit and refreshes one's outlook. Not only does Spring melt the Winter snow, giving way to lush greenery and a rainbow of flowering plants, but it also thaws the soul and replenishes hope. In what seems like a brief wink, the world emerges from the cold, barren Winter in a glorious bloom.

And the sun! Perhaps the best part of Spring, above all other positive qualities, is that Spring signals the return of the sun to this part of the world. Winter is not just cold, but mostly dark, gray, and rather gloomy in Indiana. The Spring sunshine breaks through the gloom and has a very calming, yet energizing, effect on all who can catch a few rays while basking in the perfect weather. People go back to spending time outside, meeting friends for drinks on a brew pub patio, walking their dogs with renewed vigor, or taking a long run around the neighborhood.

The world feels alive again, and after a rough few months between the holidays and now, I am more than enthused about the new season and a fresh start for this year. While it will likely take awhile to completely shake off the lingering ailments of the Winter (both physical and psychological), I can't think of a better environment in which to work through the healing process. Hooray for Spring!