The Renewal of Spring

Today I notice a major sign of the renewal that comes with spring. At first I really I couldn’t understand what it was. It was the sound of some sort of buzzing or something. My dogs noticed it too and began a long cacophony of barking. Whatever the sound was it was clearly something they did not appreciate it. After a few minutes of this I decided I had to find out what it was. The sound was coming from the front of the house so I walked in to the living room and went to our large bay window to check it out. Then I saw it. It is the first major construction project anyone on my street has undertaken this year. My neighbors, two houses down on the other side of the street are having their front patio and driveway replaced. This is an artificial sign of the renewal of spring, but the renewal of nature is also taking place. For the first time I have begun to notice many green leaves popping out from the early blooming trees in my yard. The crocuses have been in bloom for weeks – but I always think of them as starting to bloom in winter. It is good to feel everything starting to renew and be reborn. Here in Colorado this process is usually accompanied by the late season snow storms to which we all grow so accustomed. But for now the snow is gone and we have clear lawns that are starting to show the signs of spring. I have begun some efforts of renewal within my house. I won’t yet call it the gigantic spring cleaning that is needed to de-clutter the house, but it is a start. This evening as I worked to fold clothes and get them put away I went through several drawers of Zack’s things. Everything that was too small or had the collars chewed out of them were placed in a bag for donation to Goodwill. Because of his sensory integration disorder Zack has had a habit of chewing on the collars of his shirts for years. Though he chews on them much less than when he was younger he still has a habit of doing it.

(Huge pile of Zack's clothes that are going to Goodwill.)

My wardrobe must also go through this purge. I have not done a serious “purge” of things I no longer wear in a number of years. There are several seasons worth of clothes that have fallen out of favor with me that must go. It is funny how our tastes in the styles of clothes change over the years. I have gone back and forth from being a long sleeve rugby shirt wearer. I have gone back and forth from the t-shirt over a long sleeve t-shirt. Each year it seems my tastes change just a little bit. Therefore, I need to do the “purge” all of those things that no long fit into “Jerry’s style”. Thankfully I don’t have to worry about growing out of clothes. The size that I wear hasn’t changed in about the last 10 years. Everything I have in my closet fits – it’s just a question of whether I want to wear it. I am looking forward to getting on with my cleaning and renewal. The coming weekends will be dedicated to this effort and soon I will get this house in the shape that I want it to be. It’s going to be a busy spring but it is going worthwhile! Our day has been eventful! It has been busy as per usual. Recently I have been really feeling that I have been struggling to keep my head above water in terms of all that I have to do. This afternoon I had a conversation with one of my neighbors and we were talking about being busy. She reminded me that I do have a ton on my plate and that many people wonder how I do it all and maintain. I really sometimes need to step back and look at all the responsibilities I have and just realize that I have a ton to do. But I also have to feel good about what I do – as nothing is really falling apart. I have been on this pace of working as hard as I do for the last three years and I have managed to keep it together. I just need to look at that and feel proud of what I have accomplished. That is our story for the day. We hope everyone’s week is going well. Til later – thanks and peace to all!