Emma Caroline Brown
Editor
The never-ending winter of cold snaps, below-freezing windchills and trees being bare of green leaves is finally ending as spring arrives in Mississippi.
Spring’s imagery is something I have loved since childhood. Green leaves are returning on trees, flowers are in bloom, birds are singing and life seems brighter. Spring has often been seen as a symbol of rebirth, new life and new beginnings—a season of earth can also be applied to our seasons of life.
One of my favorite Bible passages discusses the new season’s arrival in Song of Solomon 2:11-12, which says, “For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.”
Winter is often seen as dark, quiet months when the earth seems to take a break and rest. Everything is still, the clouds are always gathered and the cold weather stifles varieties of colorful plants. However, everything is renewed and joyful when spring arrives, including ourselves.
Season changes are often used in art, books and movies as a representation of personal growth, new beginnings and any changes we might encounter. Winter represents a time of hardship, learning and the mandatory rest we must take as new opportunities and events are waiting just around the curve.
Spring’s actual and metaphorical revival of nature signals a shift in our lives when we can begin anew and approach life and its twists and turns with a new, fresh perspective. The start of the spring semester already allows us to get a jumpstart on changes in our daily lives as schedule changes, different classes and new routines shake up the daily life we know.
The fresh start and symbolic revival spring offers to us should be used to its fullest advantage to get up, begin again and accomplish the things we may have missed or failed to achieve in the darkness of winter.
Numerous psychological studies show that springtime increases our happiness, productivity and the overall way we approach our day. Bright sunshine, beautiful flowers, active animal life and longer days contribute a lot to well-being in spring.
If you are feeling defeated, rundown, stressed or unhappy after a bad day or a grade you received, take a moment to go outside and notice the beauty surrounding you. You might be surprised at the impact a radiant spring day will have on your mood and mindset.
We all need to take a breather and appreciate the little, beautiful things nature has to offer to us. So, go outside and listen to the birds singing, notice the growing flowers and live in the moment that our surroundings are being revived just as we should.