It’s here. It’s finally here. After months of trudging through what was admittedly a mild winter, spring has finally taken hold. There were some weirdly warm days in February hinting at the great weather to come; there was that one snowy day in early April that made us collectively grit our teeth and daydream about picking up the town of Gambier and moving it to Florida. But spring has truly arrived at Kenyon, for real now. Daffodils are blooming along Middle Path, the grass is an amazing, lush green, the trees are starting to get their leaves back, and there are purple wildflowers popping up everywhere.
And it may just be me, but I think that spring has brought a change to the people around here, too. The sun is bright, the remaining shreds of Seasonal Affective Disorder are melting away, and students are out on the lawn in droves.They seem happier, less stressed, more content to be precisely where they are (which makes sense, as where they are is a very beautiful college campus that is currently experiencing some very beautiful weather). Or maybe it’s just me projecting how I feel onto other people; because, if you haven’t realized, I am so happy it’s finally spring. When before I would rush to class, hands in my pockets, trying to get out of the cold wind as quickly as possible, now I linger, enjoying the sun and the breeze (which has not been great for me being on time to class, but that’s another matter).
There’s not much point to this article except for me to extensively appreciate, in around 500 words, the loveliness that is springtime in my native Ohio. When I was little, my favorite season was summer, because it meant that I didn’t have to go to school (young Julia was very practical about these kinds of things). More recently, fall became my favorite season, because I was a fan of that fall #aesthetic of sweaters and orange leaves and hayrides and bonfires and such. This year, however, spring has quietly supplanted them all.
Ohio isn’t exactly known for its spring. I don’t know if it’s really known for anything at all, weather-wise, except for how quickly and oddly it can change (I’m looking at you, two weekends ago, going from snow on Friday to 75 degrees on Sunday). But recently it sprung to mind (pun very much intended) how much I’m really enjoying the change of seasons here this year. This past weekend I was able to visit my home in rural southwestern Ohio, and it was absolutely beautiful. I took my dog for a walk and marveled at it all: green fields filled with dandelions and wildflowers, trees in bloom with purple and white flowers, me and my dog alone on a country road.
I know, I’m getting all pastoral. But at that moment, I was struck by how much I love my home, and how happy I was to be at that exact moment and at that exact time. It’s the same thing when I’m on campus. When I step outside, and it’s unexpectedly lovely, and the birds are singing, and the sky is blue, it has a way of reminding just how lucky I am to be alive right now, experiencing all of this. Spring makes me feel like anything is possible, and that good things are coming. And to me, that’s invaluable.
Image credits: Julia Muse