A couple of evenings ago, the warm end-of-March St. Louis air urged my roommates and I to leave our apartment windows open. As I lay down in my bed, the sweet, gentle chirping of birds outside of my window brought a fullness to my heart. The birds were still awake! They were singing the hope they have for the warmer months!
The world is waking up and shaking off the dust, the brown and gray, the darkness and cold of the winter. Trees that I do not know the name of blossom beautiful white flowers that feel too perfect for somewhere so urban and concrete. People walking with their strollers, shopping bags and toy poodles fill the sidewalks that so desperately yearn for foot traffic again.
As I fawn over the beauty that is the season of spring, I encourage you to relish in its lavish extravagance as well. The natural world literally went dead, still and dormant for many months and it is making a grand re-entrance. It always shocks me how stunning spring is even when it happens every single year!
Get Up, Go Out!
I encourage you to take extra care to notice all the hard work the natural world does in these spring months. Get outside! Walk to grab a coffee rather than take your car. Sit on the bench outside your home before going inside. Toss a frisbee with a friend or watch a sports game in your neighborhood park.
Embrace the Style
The weather not only means a change in scenery for the natural world, but also for the world of fashion! Pull out the pinks, yellows and bright green clothing that you stowed away in October. Wear sandals with your jeans rather than sneakers. Add a vibrant scarf or some ridiculously big sunglasses to your next outfit.
Experiment with Eats
With Easter right around the corner and farmers markets re-opening for the season, indulge in spring flavors like lavender, lemon, rhubarb and mint! Host afternoon tea with poppy-seed scones or plant mint in your garden to use for fresh mint tea. Food is a platform to both provide happiness for those you love and also to do some self-care.
Look Around
Whether or not the turning of seasons resonates deeply in your heart, taking intentional moments (even if they are only seconds long) to notice the world around us can fill our cup in a small way each day. Spring is a time when I am reminded to practice gratitude for the beauty that surrounds me in my everyday life. This gratitude in turn brings me deep happiness.
It is crazy to think that all of these sincere, lovely emotions first stemmed this year from the warm air in spring that led me to open my window one night and hear sweet birds singing.