Spring Cleaning

While Spring officially arrived last month, it's never really Spring to me until the weather is sunny and warm.   What I have noticed is the change in weather often creates a change in attitude.   People seem to become more motivated and energized and willing to roll up their sleeves and do some serious work.

With warmer temperatures and sunny days, yards and gardens draw our attention to the need to clean out debris that has accumulated over the Fall and Winter, pull out weeds that have taken root before the roots become so strong and deep that they seem impossible to remove.  Once everything's cleaned up, there's some prep work to be done.  The soil in the gardens needs to be turned and fertilized before new seeds, bulbs, and plants can be planted. 

Then there's the house.  Spring cleaning usually involves a great deal of cleaning both inside and out.  Windows washed, drapery and carpets cleaned, closets emptied, perhaps even rooms painted.  Spring brings with it a sense of 'new' as everything springs to life bringing colour and warmth into our days giving our spirits a lift.

Spring cleaning is a step by step process, and while it's possible, theoretically, skip a step here and there, we all know the results won't be as dramatic or as beautiful if we cut corners.  We all want the yard and garden to look spectacular because we want to enjoy them for the coming months.  The same applies for the work we do in the house, we want to look around and feel pleased and happy in our surroundings knowing everything is cleared and cleaned, and has a fresh new feel to it.  So we make the commitment and invest our time, money and energy into making our external world clean, fresh and beautiful.

Now the question is, "what about our internal world?"  Have we invested the time, money and energy needed to clean up and clear out the mental, emotional and spiritual debris and clutter we have been carrying for months, years or perhaps even decades?  Imagine how much clearer and lighter it would feel to finally get rid of everything that weighs us down and holds us back.  Imagine how releasing it would make us feel lighter, more confident, happier, focused, younger and energized, so we could approach everything in life with the same sense of renewal, optimism and enthusiasm that Spring invokes in us. 

Clearing and cleaning our internal world creates the space needed to plant personal seeds ~ dreams, goals, personal growth and development. It provides the opportunity for these personal seeds to develop and grow without the disappointments of the past blocking their growth.  You wouldn't plant new seeds, bulbs and plants in a garden that had not been cleared and cultivated and expect a beautiful garden; the same holds true for your dreams, goals and personal growth.  They cannot flourish amongst the the debris and clutter of the past, they need a fresh clean space in which to grow and thrive.

Spring cleaning ~ an opportunity to clean up both your external and internal worlds to create beauty and joy.

The Past Revisited

Thanks to a friend who celebrated a milestone birthday in February, I had the opportunity to spend time and talk with people I haven't seen in many, many years. While it seemed a little awkward at first, the years quickly disappeared and the evening was filled with both laughter and love.  While I can't speak for the others, I know I laughed so hard at times that it brought tears to my eyes; and it's been a long time since that has happened.  It was a truly wonderful evening and amazing how easily we came together as though we had never been apart.

It's amazing how some people from our past never seem to change ~ in a good way ~ even though their lives have taken them down different paths, through experiences which varied from fabulous to frightening.  The core of who they were 'back then' remains the core of who they are now.  They are true to themselves and to those around them so it doesn't matter if you saw them last week, last month, last year or in the last decade, they are who they have always been ~ friends, in the deepest sense of the word.  You know them and they know you, both sharing hopes and dreams, fears and failures, laughter and tears, and through it all, you are there for each other.

As I listened to and laughed with everyone there that night, I saw a group of friends who had never lost sight of the importance of having and keeping good close friends. It didn't matter where life took them or how many miles apart they were from each other, the bond of friendship has thrived through space and time as well as through life's ups and downs.

As I left that night, I thought of how truly blessed my friend is to have such good people in her life; and how blessed I am, for I too, have amazing people in my life.  

What better gift is there in life than a true friend?  To have one and to be one is one of life's great joys.