by Patrick McNerthney
Spring is here. I can tell because hardware stores across the nation, including the mega stores like Lowes, Home Depot, etc., start advertising how we should all be tackling those spring, “Do It Yourself” (DIY), home improvement projects.
How awful. I know some people love this stuff, but “DIY” is my least-favorite acronym.
Indeed, spring is actually here, and depending on where you are located, it’s either still freezing or possibly slightly warm outside. Or I guess scalding if you’re in Phoenix or something. For me it’s half freezing/raining then slightly warm in the afternoons, although “warm” here is a balmy 50 degrees.
(This hasn’t actually bloomed in my area yet but we’re close.)
I know this because I’m somewhat obsessed with seasonal changes, a.k.a. equinoxes, solstices and the like. Don’t worry, we aren’t going to launch into a physio-spiritual explanation about how all those things affect you and your chakras. But we are going to talk about what seasonal changes are for, in no particular order:
- The fall equinox gets short-changed as far as attention; in fact, it’s basically skipped. But people are okay with fall in general, at least in the beginning, so it’s fine. Fall is for preparing yourself to surrender to winter.
- Summer solstice is the popular kid amongst seasonal changes – and why shouldn’t it be? A bazillion hours of daylight, parties, parades, birds, flowers, vacations…all that good stuff. Summer is for being thankful it’s not winter.
- There’s a love/hate relationship with winter solstice. Nobody really enjoys the shortest day of the year except bats. Plus, it gets overshadowed by the crazy amount of holidays that fall in December for some reason. So I guess it’s mostly a hate relationship, although there is love for the fact that technically the days immediately start getting longer immediately after the winter solstice. Winter is for putting on weight you hope to lose by next fall.
(I ate about one pan of these per day this winter.)
Finally, there’s the spring equinox. Admittedly it’s a bit of a schizophrenic situation; some parts of the country (as previously discussed) are downright warm, others moderately spring-like, others freezing, with the Midwest experiencing all three of these temperatures simultaneously. But spring is the valedictorian of the seasons; not necessarily the most popular, but definitely the one with the most potential, what with all the rebirth going on. You know, buds on the trees, flowers peeking through the dirt, and birds singing. Spring is for breaking out of ruts and starting fresh.
That’s right; as much as I detest DIY projects, I’m got to admit the folks at Home Depot are a crafty bunch. They push all the home improvement advertising in spring because “beginning anew” this time of year is an important part of the natural rhythm of the planet (at least in the northern hemisphere), and it affects all of its inhabitants.
For us humans, it’s nature’s way (or maybe the mysterious cosmos’ way) of literally forcing us to grow, progress, and thrive so we stick around as a species.
Over to you: As we begin this season of rebirth, what are you doing to begin anew?
At Fine Art Miracles we believe our programs are a great way to help those you care for thrive this spring, and a unique opportunity for you to try something new! Consider the power of Art Therapy, Music Therapy and even our April Featured ART2GO Lesson (Franz Marc Animals!) to combat the feelings of depression and anxiety, that our most vulnerable populations are still experiencing.
It’s worth a look. Creative expression offers everyone, but especially the elderly, children with challenges and people with disabilities, a way to grow and thrive through self-expression and the joy that comes from simply making. Not to mention, filling your surroundings with all the color we’re starting to see show up in the world this time of year. It’s a great way to bring spring indoors as we continue to deal with the pandemic!
If you have any questions or want to learn more, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Playing with creative expression sure beats a trip to Home Depot, that’s for sure. By the way, if you need any DIY supplies let me know, I’m headed there right now!
