This is my absolute favorite time of the year.

Spring—freshness and vibrancy, the sense of hope and new life.

And if you planted something in memory of your beloved, it’s the yearly budding of memories and blossoming of love you have with a deceased loved one.

Go for a walk in nature and breathe deeply, notice the shoots coming up, the tree branches bursting into life with their soft buds, and the gorgeous spring flowers offering their blooms skyward—it’s guaranteed to lift the soul!

Yes, it’s easy to enjoy life in spring—just being able to sit outside or put on short sleeves and Capri pants or shorts and feel the sun on your skin, or kick off those heavy boots and shoes and slap on a pair of flip-flops or sandals (and ladies, show off those painted toenails) feels like such a treat.

I know what it is—it’s the anticipation of upcoming fun…of planning picnics…of running barefoot in the grass…of grilling on the barbecue without having that winter sting in the air…of brightly colored glassware and plates on the patio table…of lemonade and iced tea…of table centerpieces made with wild flowers…of freshly laundered clothes flapping on the line…of assembling hanging baskets of flowers for the porch…of splashing in puddles (while belting out the words to “Singing in the Rain”)…of running with a kite and seeing it fly up into the sky…of watching my children play (and now coach) soccer…and oh, that wonderful smell of fresh rain…

It’s a sense of freedom…of beauty…of hope.

Right now my office window is open just enough for that gentle breeze to enter (yet I’m protected from those bursts of gusty wind) and I hear the constant chatter of birds preparing to nest.

Robins are poking around in the ground.

Everything seems to be busy.

The dogwood tree and raspberry bushes are starting to bud.

The cherry tree and Japanese Maple are blooming.

The grass is greening.

What’s your favorite part of spring? Really, I’d like to know!

Don’t you just want to get outside and grab that taste of spring before it disappears!

Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
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