Enjoying Spring

It has been a long long winter. In reality it actually hasn’t been. I remember being at the park on Christmas Eve and the sun was shining down something fierce.

But it felt long. It feels like we have been cooped up in the cold, dark and damp forever.

I am beginning to see the light.

The sun is starting to rise a little earlier and go down a little later.

I am beginning to be leave the windows open, at least during the day.

I have been out on walks, bike rides and even on rollerblades!

We are finally saying goodbye to winter.

I love that I live in a country with four seasons.

In my younger years I used to dream of moving to a warm sunny tropical destination. I felt that maybe I wasn’t cut out for the cold Canadian winters.

As I get older I am learning to appreciate the four seasons. The freshness of a cool, crisp autumn day. The liveliness of a warm spring morning. The sun beating down on my face in the heat of the summer and yes even the beauty of freshly fallen snow in the middle of January.

The best part about being a mother is getting to relive some of the fun of my childhood and getting outside is one of the ways I do that.

I am managing to find something that gets me outside, if even for a little bit, during each season.

I am going to be the first to admit, I am so grateful that spring has finally arrived. I need the brightness and warmth of the sunshine. I need to feel a breeze that doesn’t blow right through me. The birds chirping are bringing me a sense of peace. The smell of freshly cut grass is making me so happy.

I spent about two hours yesterday afternoon rollerblading around my neighbourhood with my son. We giggled and chatted. My heart pounded in my chest as I caught myself from falling about a dozen times. I watched with pride as my son got better and better with each push of his foot. We bonded, him and I.

My kids have shown me a new appreciation for the outdoors. It makes me feel like a kid again and I have my own children to thank for that.

So today, I am happy to be able to spend some time playing outside with my kids. I am thankful that we are saying goodbye to winter and hello to the new beginnings of spring.

Get out there and enjoy the sunshine and warm spring breezes. Smell the beautiful flowers bursting out of the ground and listen to the songs of the birds in the trees. Live in the moment because, as we all know, it won’t be long before Old Man winter wakes from his slumber.