Hello March. As my fingers touch the keyboard, the color green is front and center in my mind. Not just because of St. Patrick’s Day, but green is the first sign of life after a cold winter. If you look up, you can see a green leaf on a tree that is still barren. It may look lonely but I have a feeling that one leaf is proud to be the first sign of what is to come and a symbol to the parts of the country where winter may still be alive and kicking. If you are reading this inside and still looking at snow and a gray sky, this too shall pass. Flowers will bloom, warmth will fill the air, and we will get a spring in our step, as we step outside to Spring. What are you going to do with that new energy that comes from getting out in the sun? Spring clean? Where exactly did that term come from and why do we do it? We can clean and organize any time of the year. What is so special about now? In the winter when it gets dark early and it is cold, getting cozy under a blanket by a fire sounds so much better than washing windows and shaking out carpets. The darkness makes us tired. But as the days become longer and warmer, our bodies crave to be outdoors and to get moving. The light wakes us up. I am sure that has something to do with it, but there is more. Believe it or not, “spring cleaning” is older than most of us and our grandparents. It goes back to biblical times. Crazy, right? As a Jewish person, we do a deep clean right before Passover, which is always in the spring. In some cultures, Spring is considered the new year, so of course, that comes with wanting a fresh feeling. It is also very motivating. All the things that you wanted to start at the beginning of the year and have not gotten to yet because of life, why not now? Throughout history, and many different cultures and religions, one thing has remained the same. Spring cleaning is more than just a broom, it is time to breathe in the fresh air, feel invigorated, and move forward. Step into it.
