Spring is for Letting Go

by Victoria M. Johnson

Spring is here!  Finally.  For many of us it has been a brutal winter and signs of spring are very much anticipated and welcomed.  We all know spring as a time for rejuvenation and regrowth.  It's when flowers bloom and the sense of renewal fills our spirit with hope.  Spring often brings expectations, too.

Are you someone who thinks of spring as a time for spring cleaning?  Do you go through your house or closet and clear out the clutter?   

Perhaps you're someone who gets swept away by spring fever—that feeling that something good is in the air—where you toss responsibilities to the side and let loose in fun activities?     

Or have you been so busy working hard all year that you just need a break—some time to do nothing—a spring break, whether you're in college or not? 

Photo by Andre Furtado

All three of these responses to spring are appropriate.  But I'd like to add one more action for you to consider when thinking about spring.  Think of spring as a time of letting go.  Let go not only of unwanted clothing or household items but also of negative feelings that are impeding you.  Any feelings that are unconstructive, that dampen your spirits or thwart your momentum; need to go.  Use spring as a reminder to clear your mind and heart of clutter.  For a healthier and happier life let any disappointments or unmet expectations from the past go.  Make room for personal renewal and growth. This spring, give yourself a fresh start.

Victoria M. Johnson knew by the time she was ten that she wanted to be a writer.  She loves telling stories and she's happiest when creating new characters and new plots.  Avalon Books and Montlake Romance published Victoria's fiction debut, The Doctor’s Dilemma.  Her other fiction book is a collection of romance short stories titled, The Substitute Bride and a novella, Hot Hawaiian Christmas. She is also the writer and director of four short films and two micro documentaries.   Visit Victoria's website at http://VictoriaMJohnson.com for inspiration and tips and find her Amazon author page or connect with her on Pinterest and Twitter.

Spring Cleaning

There is more to the season than cleaning cobwebs from corners, although that is an excellent metaphor for what many of us are doing with regard to our personal and professional time at this time of year.

When my family lived in Maine, Spring weather arrived several weeks later than the rest of the country. As evidenced by this year’s snow fall on the ‘technical’ first day of Spring, the state of Maine, most northerly of the lower 48, has a long winter. Once in a while, that long winter can be from first snow in October to first thaw in April.

My home town under snow, a typical Maine winter.

In one such year, the house was closed up with snow covering the ground floor windows. The front path was dug out to the road and the snow piled six feet high on both sides. My elder brother used the surplus to build an igloo over the slope leading down to the sidewalk. He dug openings at the top and at the bottom where it opened to the road.

At that time of year, there was no real danger of any child ending up under the wheels of a passing car on Lincoln Street, but the thrill of shooting through the igloo and onto the icy road kept us outdoors and sledding for weeks. Since I was never keen on snow, this was a boon to my mother who preferred all  play to be restricted to the outside, no matter what the weather.

This particular winter, the back parlor had been used earlier for our Christmas celebrations. The wood-burning kitchen stove was used to heat the upstairs bedrooms through ducts into open grills in the floor.  Ducts were closed to the back parlor to keep other rooms warmer.

Spring cleaning meant that all the windows in the house could be opened as soon as the patches of grass were at least eight inches wide and more numerous than the piles of snow. Several doors to rooms on the ground floor had not been open since the first signs of winter and others had been closed since Christmas.

My mother began her cleaning and airing out from the attic. The kitchen was the center of family life and had already been cleaned but it was mid-April before she reached the back parlor. Our Christmas tree stood in the corner, all ornaments and lights intact, four months to the day after it had been decorated. Under the tree, instead of presents, was a thick pile of reddish brown needles.


My mother had better things to do with her time than cleaning house.