From Guest Writer Denise Caballero
I don’t know about you, but I am one of those people who miss the long hours of sunlight when the hours are diminished over the fall and winter. It even has a name – they call it Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. That is sometimes how it is thought of by a lot of people, sad. But thankfully it’s the kind of sadness that goes away as the hours of sunlight slowly but surely expand each day. Let’s face it, winter can be long, gloomy, cold, and seem void of life. We need healthy doses of our very own Sol for our spirits and well-being.
But here we are in mid-winter, the holidays have passed, and even Groundhog Day. And as if in a suspicious cooperation ALL of our locally famous, soothsaying rodents have agreed that we will have an early spring this year by not seeing their shadow. (Never mind that from Pennsylvania through to New York and Long Island the day was one massive cloud cover. There was no sun to cast a shadow. Maybe it was just part of some groundhog conspiracy to help keep their jobs.)
At this time of year, my friend and I (along with a small canine companion boasting a big and bad attitude) would walk at lunchtime to see if we could spy any crocuses forging through the soil and coming into bloom. They were always our first go-to sign that things outdoors were changing. When we found one, it very much validated our hope that winter was on the wane, and spring would not be far behind with all of its promises to come including the gift of more sun.
This year we get to turn the clocks ahead on March 10th, and spring will officially start on March 19th. This self cannot wait. (Even the sacrifice of an hour of sleep cannot downplay the rewards the changing of the clock will bring.)
So the next time winter may get too bleak and dreary for you, try to focus on finding the crocus. Their colors of yellow, white, and purple may just be the medicine you need to see you through the passage of the season.
(Gloriosky – our next sure sign will be the robin sighting. My friend always saw the first one before I did.)
