Smile

For me, winter seems to bring a need for organization and routine. An orderly and bright indoor environment and a predictable schedule help to keep the melancholy that shortened days and uncooperative weather can bring, at bay. As the days lengthen and the sun’s rays extend their daily visits, it’s not just the sight of flowers blooming on every corner or ducklings chasing Mama Duck across the pond that brings revitalization. It’s also very much the promise of something new to add to my repertoire that gets me excited about the upcoming seasons.

Why not join the celebration of a newfound energy that comes with Spring by spreading our wings and trying something new? It doesn’t need to be life-altering or a massive undertaking. There’s no great plan or formula to follow. There are no special requirements or lists of tasks to check off. What we do have is an opportunity to learn and grow in a way that will bring us personal enjoyment and satisfaction. It could be expanding our knowledge by exploring a new genre of books, volunteering an hour a week at a favorite non-profit, learning how to read music or play a new instrument, or finally committing to a daily early evening walk with your family. The point is to explore a new activity.

Something as simple as gardening, for someone like me whose green-thumb gene is definitely absent, can offer a sense of accomplishment and unexpected calm. Earlier this month I spent a few hours carefully selecting a colorful assortment of potted flowering annuals and meticulously arranging them in old discarded outdoor pots that had been sitting empty for months. The result was a beautiful floral display that I now proudly enjoy every time I walk out my back door. Chances are the flowers won’t long survive the exploits of curious or hungry critters conducting their own explorations. I have already observed signs of such. But I will now gladly count myself among the multitude of joyful gardeners who anxiously await the beauty of getting their hands dirty all in the name of planting new seeds and watching a new endeavor blossom.