The Zen of Spring

Living in Minnesota helps teach a person patience. After a few days of balmy temperatures we’ve had a taste of spring that included snow melting, people in shorts who had abandoned their winter parkas, and the recommencement of social engagements. I had three invitations myself this past weekend and it was great to see people who had been hibernating over these long winter months, spring was definitely in the air.

Crossing off that last day of March alone gives a sense of security; we’ve made it to April, spring is really here! You’re lulled into that spring state of mind and then you wake up to this:

The kneejerk reaction to this is irritation. I added a little pouting to that and stomped out of the house, bundled up in my down jacket against the 20 degree morning. Again. Funny thing was, before I knew it, the sun was peeking through the clouds and I could see blue skies on the horizon. This reminded me about how often we fall victim to our emotions around things we can’t control. At the drop of a hat, tempers fly, tears flow and stress levels rise when what we should be doing is taking a moment to practice patience and acceptance, because the sun might just start peeking through the clouds before we know it. And if it doesn’t? Well, there’s nothing we can do to change that either.

As I write this, it’s still only 28 degrees outside but the sun is shining and the forecast looks promising. Okay, it’s promising if you ignore the Winter Weather Advisory and 6-12″ of snow it’s predicting. It won’t be 60 degrees tomorrow, but 40 isn’t bad after the winter we just had. Spring really is right around the corner and Mother Nature is sure to throw some curve balls in our path; but the snow will melt quicker and the temperatures won’t be as fierce as they have been. And at this time of year, the weather can change at the drop of a hat, so as far as we know, that Winter Weather Advisory might be gone as quickly as it arrived.

Even the best meteorologist can’t guarantee what each day will hold. All we can do is appreciate it for what it is and stop trying to change it. Our summers may feel short, but there is a reason why we love them so much – it takes a lot of patience to get to them. And with all the days in between, we might as well make the best of them as well.