Spring is finally here officially this week. The calendar says to—but I know so, for I saw my first robin of the season this weekend.
This winter season has been a brutal one for the Midwest for we’ve had more than our share of snow this year. Other parts of the country from mid November to mid May.
We moved from this city to sunny Florida to escape the snow. As a child I loved snow; as an adult who has to shovel it—I’m not too crazy about the white stuff any longer except around Christmas time when it should be mandatory. But alas—we rarely get a white Christmas and this year was no expectation. In fact, I think it was the only day it didn’t snow!
This area doesn’t really know snow – not the snow belts of Michigan or New York – and so when it snows as much it did this year, we get cranky. The sun wasn’t out much over the last few months and this didn’t help the mood.
For me, this winter, I have noticed the tendency to follow the way of certain animals—bears for example. I hibernate during these times when the cold, dreary weather is just too much for my aging psyche. No, I don’t physically crawl into a cave for months on end—although spiritually and psychologically I seem to. Friends and activities are kept at a distance, dreams are shelved and I concentrate on the mundane tasks of living day to day.
I write this because I find I am not alone in this hibernation period. I have found other kindred souls of late who find there are times of the year where they simply have to disconnect in order to recharge.
As a younger person, I didn’t understand this activity and probably dismissed its value. Older and wiser me knows now the importance of this activity and finally recognize this habitual behavior.
My sister calls it cycling—I cycle in my behavior from having lots of activity in my life to wanting none in my life. I have had a tendency to go from being a workaholic to being a hermit. After years of observation, I now concur this is what I do.
But it is not a flaw—but a coping mechanism to regain balance. Recognizing this pattern however, allows me not to find fault in myself or my behavior, but rather puts me in a search to better balance my life without going to extremes. And so spring is here and I am crawling out of my winter cave with renewed vision and purpos
Enjoy this spring—the new flowers, the birds singing and the sun is shining. Warmth envelopes us and we can shed those heavy winter coats. Turn your face to the light of the new season and smile – especially if you’re an occasional hibernator, like me. Welcome, spring!
