I love spring! Her vibrant colors cast against the blue sky (yes, even here in Oregon) and the warmth of the sun are energizing. The sounds of birdsong filling the air lift the spirit. The scent of flowers as they waft through the air is satisfying. The world around me feels fresh and new!
 
And then there’s Daylight Savings Time. You can either love it or hate it or, according to my daughter-in-law, you can take a neutral stance. I’m still pushing my way through the fog left from setting the clocks forward.
 
Don’t forget the pollen we’re blessed with this time of year. Allergy sufferers around here have been complaining for weeks. At our house, that means two of us going through Kleenex at a rapid pace. And all the while, wishing it would go away at a rapid pace.

Recently, a short drive stunned me with the progression of blooming trees and flowers.

A few days before nothing was blooming. As we drove out of our driveway, I smiled at the blooms on our hyacinths. The bright yellow of the forsythia was like sunlight. White blossoms on trillium and our Helleborus spoke to the purity of the season, everything shiny and new. Soon we’ll be getting whiffs of the aromatic blossoms of our Oregon grape.

Along the way, I spotted tulip trees making an effort to open their large pink buds. And everywhere I glanced clumps of daffodils standing at the ready as if to say, “Spring is here, and so are we!”
 
Camellias are either filled with buds or already blooming–pink, red, white. Rhododendrons and azaleas are in various stages of bloom. And recent ice and snow don’t appear to have harmed our hydrangeas as new leaves are sprouting.
 
The forecast for rain has outpaced sunny days, and this week the sun is predicted to rise high in the sky this week.
 
I happened to notice the sun’s light glaring off a large, solid pane window. Looking out was an excited pup with paws obviously on the window sill. You could tell by the motions its body was making that this pooch liked what it saw. Sunlight, green grass, and springtime fun! I understood its excitement.
 
A bit farther down the street were sounds of a lawnmower in action. I took a quick look to my left and saw a young man walking back and forth trimming the growing grass. I briefly smelled the cut grass. Another sign of spring and yes, summer to come.
 
Everything I saw gave me a sense of newness, not only in the world around me but also in me.
 
This would be a miracle for sure because at 76 I doubt the parts of me still in place and working are nothing like new. However, with each passing day, I realize new strength and energy.
 
Spring is helping with that restoration. Feeling improvements buoys the spirit and pulls you in new directions.
 
Recently I find myself drawn to interesting projects offered by friends on Facebook. One project, in particular, has me digging into the history of my home state, Tennessee. It focuses on the era of slavery in the area where I attended college.
 
When you wake up some spring morning and walk out the door, you might not know what the day will bring.
 
Keep those senses sharp. Be waiting for the unusual to happen, to push you onward to new experiences. Like the daffodil pushes through the soil, you might be pushing forward into new areas. Perhaps you’ll discover a new style of writing. Or maybe you’ll meet writers from other parts of the country. All this could lead to beginning a new project of your own.

Have you experienced inspiration and motivation with the changes in the seasons? Why not share something below (perhaps you’ll be the inspiration for someone else)?

Happy Spring,

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Featured Image Attribution: Florgeus