Since my return from the stunning seascapes of Cornwall, the sun has shone here like it did there – yahoo!
Last Saturday’s sunshine eased my unpacking/washing/sorting process enormously when I got home. I threw the back door wide open, hung my washing on the line and inhaled lunch under the big, blue sky. Magic. And what a contrast to those long, grey, days of Winter where I’ve been huddled under a blanket to keep cosy. It’s as if Spring checked the diary, saw it was March and immediately came over all Spring-esque. Most welcome. But apparently isn’t here to stay, yet.
I tend to make a point of upping my ante in Autumn to manage my mental health not to depend on the presence of something this country is renowned for lacking. And not just in Winter. This on the understanding that ‘Winter’ can last about eight months here too (on a good year)!
However, I still absolutely love it when the sky is blue, the temperature is conducive to being outside bearing flesh and I can return to using the parasol to protect my skin from the orange leathery look. I love being outside in nature feeling the gentle breeze on my skin with the birds singing enthusiastically in the background. It would seem that I am not alone in this as I’ve lost count of the conversations I’ve had this week about the difference this weather makes to the general mood of the masses. Whether tradesmen or friends or teachers or anyone else, we’ve all spoken of the great joy of the return of the warmth bringing sunshine!
It is as if Spring has Sprung into being, all of a sudden. While the snowdrops in my garden are now past their best, the crocuses are in full purple bloom. And the trees outside my bedroom window are now sporting little buds of new life – so very exciting!
As I walked into my Pilates class this week, I was gasp inducingly wowed by the orange glow of the night sky. I commented to my peers that it doesn’t matter how many times I’ve seen all the signs of Spring before, they never fail to evoke great excitement in me! Lighter evenings, bolder birdsong, blossom on trees and flowers budding all around. I love these! We reflected that we may be particularly appreciative of all things Spring having endured a particularly long stretch of sun hiding weeks.
When I drove home on Saturday, I was reminded of the reality that the sun is always there whether we see or feel it. I started my drive while still in darkness as the sun hadn’t yet arisen from down under. But as I drove, the sun began to peep over the horizon in all its orange glory until it gradually rose enough to become a whole glowing ball. Then in the time it took to refuel the car, grab a cup of caffeine to refuel myself and pay for both, it literally turned from night to day. How very quickly things can change.
As I continued my super long drive, I drove through patches of sun-covering fog or cloud before each cleared to reveal that the sun was still there, as were further patches of fog and cloud.
This driving experience was such a reminder of the parallels with being a human. Sometimes we can’t see or feel any warmth during cold, hard seasons, but when we just keep going, things can improve suddenly. The harder warmth-withholding times do keep coming but so too, do those warmth giving ones. And every time I come out into the sunshine after a sun deprived season, I appreciate it even more.
However, the arrival of Spring does mean the sneezing has started, huge wasp/bee’s have begun appearing in my conservatory, as if they don’t have enough room outside and my grass has started whispering louder each day,
“I need a haircut”.
But hey, this is life, we cannot have the joy of Spring without the minor irritations or additional garden-based jobs! We all must find a way to manage the rough with the smooth, the work with the play and the sun with the clouds.
But for me, I love, love, love this time of year.