Springtime. Time for cleaning, time for Lenten fasting and resolutions (of sorts), and time for change. Truth is, it’s always a time for change if you’re honest with yourself, but we being who we are, we all appreciate seasonal markers – Autumn and its leaves; Spring and its blossom; Winter with its new year; and Summer with its promises of grass stains and white wines.
The last time I posted here it was Winter. Today, it is Spring. I live in a new apartment now and I’ll say this: There is sunlight and there is peace. And it makes me happy.
I’m something of an early riser, so even on weekends I like to be up by 7. I like to open all the windows in the living room to let the sounds, the scents, and the light of the early morning pour into my small apartment. I make some coffee and I just sit for a little while — letting the heat emanating from my coffee cup warm me up, and letting the refreshing morning chill wrap me up in its embrace. I can’t help but smile in contentment. As one accustomed to always being on the move, always aware of the time and how precious it is, I have come to appreciate and anticipate these glorious moments of peace and solitude.
In our backyard (yes, I have a sizable backyard in DC) I have a garden plot. Of course, it’s not as large as the entire garden above, but maybe it’s the size of each individual plot. I know nothing of gardening beyond the notion that dirt, seeds, and water somehow translate into tomatoes or eggplants. There’s that sense of magic and mystery coupled with work and dedication that I appreciate and anticipate.
Anticipate.
Not in the sense of waiting for life to happen, but in the sense of wonder over what the next thing life has to offer after putting in sweat and work. Looking at a plot of dirt after tending to it and worrying about it and loving it, and waiting in joyful expectation to see what happens next.
Lately, I’ve been trying to apply that to work and to life in general. Be deliberate, be yourself, be kind and honest, and see what life gives back.
[photo via Sydney]