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As I sit down the type this column, it’s late morning and the sun is warming my face. Weather predictions forecast a high of 70 degrees today – and still winter nonetheless! My dog is lying out in the grass, his favorite spot. And I can’t help but feel overcome with gratitude to God for blessing us with this perfect day. It reminds me of when I was young and would wake up to the first signs of spring: robins foraging in the grass for their nests, daffodils blooming, lighter mornings and longer evenings.

I always say fall is my favorite season, but the past few years have proven that spring has my heart. The world seems to come alive again. Each year when spring starts to make its way to my door, I’m reminded of how I felt when I was little. It’s hard to explain, but it felt like the spirit within me would suddenly awaken and flutter with anticipation. The newness of the world around me would stir my heart in such a way that I felt almost invincible. Sun-filled days were just ahead; perhaps it was the fact that I would spend every minute of the day outside if I could, and spring meant the weather would prove to accommodate that desire.

Spring is when I learned to ride a bike for the first time. I received my first bicycle as a Christmas present when I was 11. Once I got the hang of it, my parents had a hard time getting me back home in time for dinner after school. I would ride a couple miles down to the neighboring community, where there was a small horse farm. The basket attached to the front of my Schwinn would hold fresh carrots for the three steeds, who would excitedly come to the fence when they caught sight of me.

In middle school, all of the students would participate in a spring musical. It was usually a big production, with acts from groups of students in fifth through eighth grade. I loved it so much that I joined both a show choir and theatre in high school. Spring would consist of long nights of rehearsals and end in two long weekends of performances. Being on stage boosted my self-esteem in such a way that I found a passion for public speaking, and the core group of friends I had were all involved with the shows. We found spring to be our favorite time of the school year because we would spend every waking moment of it together.

My mom has always maintained a thriving garden, consisting of various varieties of plants and flowers that seem to draw the most beautiful pollinators. We would always go around this time of year to the garden center and pick out new additions for the garden – snapdragons, tulips, black-eyed Susans, morning glories – and I would help her plant and tend to the sprawling seedlings. Now I have my own garden, and every year around this time my fiancé and I make plans for what additions we would like to add.

I would go so far as to say spring carries with it a bit of magic, just enough to change the whole mood of a day from so-so to joyous. Maybe that’s why they say, “spring is in the air,” because it floats in with the warm breeze and graces your cheeks so blissfully that you can’t help but notice the world around you seems brighter. That’s how I feel today; I hope you can feel it, too.

Danielle Puleo is a staff writer for The Coastland Times. Reach her at danielle.puleo@thecoastlandtimes.com.

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