SPRING HAS SPRUNG: How Spring should be the the new New Year

I got out of bed this morning, opened my curtains and yawned in blue skies. Birds were darting about catching their morning insects, the crisp warmth lured buds out of their blankety beds, the outside had begun the day without me. How lovely to be a little late to the day rather than prematurely dragged into the darkness of winter mornings.

What a dreamy alternate awakening.

Delicate purple buds emerge from the snow, heralding the arrival of spring.

My first thought was, 'It makes such a difference.' How many times have you found yourself saying that over the last couple of weeks, as the sunshine rewards us for making it through the winter? 'Gorgeous day!' celebrates the woman walking her dog. 'It makes such a difference!' says I.

It really does make a difference to me though. It is not just a rehearsed pleasantry. The winter does not suit me at all, I struggle to embrace slick frosts that make mere walking an olympic sport. I dislike wearing itchy, wooly layers, much preferring light, airy clothes. I long for the warmth of the sun rather than the manufactured stifle of central heating. I know I should try to find things to embrace about winter but truly, I just find myself waiting, impatiently for spring.

Spring, for me, feels like the real New Year. The emergence of life. The blank page. A potential promise. This feeling compels me to think about what I want out of life, what is ripening for me. Spring, to me, is up and out, whereas winter feels down and in.

On this first day of spring, I have stopped and stared. I have felt real gratitude for the life I have. I have laughed at myself for wearing a skirt with no tights when actually I have had goosebumps all day. And I have looked forward. Forward to a brighter season of my life, full of budding potential.

This brings me to ask you...what are you feeling today now that spring has sprung? What new life is emerging for you? How will you nurture it to grow?