Spring is here

This morning I went running and had the most incredible experience. The intoxicating scent of orange blossoms filled my lungs as birds chirped over head. Wild flowers were in full force in the field across the street and for the first time in a long time it felt like Spring. I could see the snow caps loosing their hold on the mountain tops in the distance, and despite the breeze and chill in the air I felt warm.

Don't get me wrong. I love winter. Nothing is better than our yearly trip to big bear. The first snowfall and toasting marshmallows while wrapped in layers upon layers are some of the best memories of the year. Thanksgiving, school breaks, and Christmas raise our spirits, brings families together, and helps us remember everything we have to be thankful for.

But somewhere after Christmas as the new year rolls around and the cold, long days get darker and shorter, winter begins to wear out it's welcome. It's like a family member you love, but get sick of pretty quickly (come on, you all have one!).

I jogged past a yard covered in freshly blooming tulips and the cold winter had thawed out of me. Some people roll their eyes, thinking seasonal depression is a joke. But every time spring starts to peek it's way through, like those tulips bursting out of the ground, I realize just how anxiously I'd been awaiting spring. It renews your spirit and invigorates your soul.

We are all going through something. We are all stressed about something. There is just something about spring that gives you hope. A fellow blogger always ends her posts with, "furthermore, the war will end." That is how I feel at this moment. The war has ended. Whatever it is weighing you down. IT WILL GET BETTER. We will survive.

After all, if that bulb that has been freezing in the ground all winter, lacking water for weeks, and forgotten during the long days of darkness can find it's way back to the comfort and sunshine of spring, so can we.