I am not a huge fan of spring. It takes too long for me. I become tired of the back-and-forth between cold and nice weather. I grew up in Southern California, so I was used to nice weather all year round. But I also hate waiting for the green to come back. I was used to green all year long and the bare trees and no grass make winter hard for me. Now I have been practicing mindfulness to appreciate spring. I am amazed at how much more I like spring!
Practice Mindfulness as a Game
My littles and I now vie to see who can find the first signs of spring. We look for green starting with grass and the shoots of flowers. After our big snow in March, we saw the first green grass blades shooting up in our neighborhood. My oldest was so happy as it meant he would be running and playing soccer on green grass.
Flowers
Next, we look for tulips and other early flowers of spring. We love to see the trees blooming with flowers, dandelions coming up for bees, and wish flowers growing to blow all over the neighborhood. I know some people do not like dandelions, but they are some of the first nectar for bees and are very important.
Birds
Then we look for bugs and birds, which is my favorite part of being mindful in spring. I love hearing the finches trying to find mates. The male finches peck on the metal of our chimney to attract mates. The noise drives my cats and dogs crazy, but it is a fun sign of spring.
Bugs
It always makes me smile when I must dodge grasshoppers on my runs. The dodging makes my run more interesting, and I know that green is here to stay. We start to count how many butterflies, ladybugs, and dragonflies we see. My littles and I consider them good luck and seeing them helps put us in a great mood.
Snow
Last year we had a huge snow after spring had come and everything was green. Because of that, my littles wanted to add a game where we make bets if and when it will snow after April. I guessed it would snow on Memorial Day weekend. If one of us wins, they get to pick a lunch out under $20 a person. So, if it snows this year, it is my fault.
These little games help us to appreciate and notice the signs of spring. This is important after a long winter and the end of the school year. Being mindful helps me not be so upset when the weather in Colorado goes from spring to winter to spring to winter in one week. Sometimes on the same day! How does your family practice mindfulness in spring?
