It’s that time of year again: The messy middle between winter and spring. It’s that time when the ice begins to thaw, the snow slowly starts to melt, the days grow longer, and hope quietly bubbles up with the promise of warmer, brighter days ahead.
I’ve particularly embraced the recent “warmer” weather because this winter has been so treacherously brutal. Yes, Minnesota winters are always cold, but this year has been an entirely different beast. Up until this season I’ve always escaped for a daily walk and dose of fresh air, but these last couple months have been so relentlessly ruthless that I haven’t been able to get out with the same regularity. It hasn’t even been a matter of willpower – let me assure you, the willpower is most certainly there – but it has simply been so dang frigid that it’s actually unsafe to be out in the elements.
And boy, has it made a difference. Recently I’ve felt cooped up, stir-crazy, and dripping with cabin fever in all the worst ways. I’m desperately craving a change of pace, change of scenery, and some much-needed warmth and sunshine. And while summer still feels like a distant reality, these last several days – this “in between” time, if you will – has been a glorious reprieve from the winter doldrums. Cam, Fitz, and I have prioritized getting outside to stretch our legs each and every day, and it has been a noticeable gamechanger. Not only has the fresh air cleared my mind and refueled my energy, but witnessing the snow start to melt and the grass begin to peek through in brown, scrawny patches reminds me that nothing in life is stagnant. Despite everything going on in the world, our busy schedules, and the forces outside ourselves that we cannot control, still the seasons continue to change and time marches on. The earth keeps spinning on its axis, the trees keep growing, and the animals keep trekking forward. The world still exists in multitudes and is much bigger, broader, and more multi-faceted than we in our small slice of things could ever begin to comprehend.
The changing of seasons – this great thaw – is nature’s reminder that wherever we may be mentally and emotionally, physically we are rooted in the here and now. All we have is this moment, and our ever-changing landscape calls us to recognize this inevitable truth from time-to-time, perhaps especially amidst moments of mundanity and transition.
Now I’ll keep it brief so you can get outside, too: Step out, look up, and immerse yourself in your surroundings. I’m certain you will recognize something new, gain different perspectives, and maybe even see something for the very first time. Indeed, with the fresh air you’ll also experience a fresh breath of life and new pulse of promise.
Perhaps as the snow and ice begins to melt you might also notice something soften and thaw within yourself, too. That’s called change. It’s called growth. And, just like the changing seasons, it’s a natural, distinctly beautiful part of this great thing we call life.
So get out there, friend. What are you waiting for?
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