I was supposed to write my blog today, but I went for a hike with my dogs instead.
While I was out there, I zeroed in on the sure signs of spring. The air had that spring scent, but the skunk cabbage popping out of the ground convinced me I had survived yet one more New England winter. I’ll admit, I cheated a little bit with some time in Florida, but for the most part, I slugged it out in Connecticut with my fellow hard-core New Englanders.
I noticed something while I was in Florida. Floridians don’t marvel over the arrival of spring the way we do up north. Beautiful weather is the norm down south. I’m not saying they don’t appreciate it. They just don’t celebrate as we do.
Besides the short, cold, and gray days, the problem with winter in Connecticut is that it lasts way longer than three months. It intercepts fall and relentlessly bullies spring, taking up five months rather than three. Don’t get me wrong. There are some beautiful days scattered throughout, and OH, how we marvel over those! But when the days get longer, the air gets warmer, the birds come back, and the trees leaf out, New Englanders are visibly happy again. Instead of saying “Hello” or “Good Morning,” we greet each other with “What a BEAUTIFUL day!”
The harsh seasons remind me of the hard times in our lives. When we weather life’s storms and find the silver linings, we are more grateful and appreciative.
“You need to spend time crawling alone through shadows to truly appreciate what it is to stand in the sun.”
― Shaun Hick
Cheers to contrast!
