Ready for Spring

These cold, dreary days are so depressing! The bare trees and gray skies exacerbate my feelings of longing. I'm ready for Spring, for the hope of new life it brings and for the anticipation of what the remainder of the year holds. 

I've often wondered why God instilled in bears the instinct to hibernate in the winter. How do they know when to start fattening up on food and preparing their dens? I like to think God has put an internal clock inside them and as time draws near, He pricks them with a sense of urgency. You wouldn't think big, burly bears would need to spend months sleeping, but they do. And when their time of rest is up, they groggily come out of their dens starving. As they go in search of berries or other sustenance, their weakened state becomes strong again. They move forward ready to resume activity, mate, and bear babies. 

Gray days make me want to curl up into a ball and sleep for days, but I don't. Of course, when the days are shorter, I do tend to go to bed earlier, but I don't sleep well and that makes the long nights seem even longer. So I normally try to stay busy doing something - whether it's reading and enjoying a hot cup of tea, painting some piece of art a friend or family member might enjoy, or taking walks with my husband. Sometimes those things get boring and feel antsy, but I know, if I hold out, Spring will be here soon. 

My roses already have new growth on them. Seeing the dark, reddish leaves budding helps me cling to the fact that winter will soon be over. The time change will take place, the days will be longer, and it will feel like there's a reason to be alive again. Hmmm....reading that just made me realize what the problem is - I think I have a touch of S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder). It's a condition that causes people to become depressed during winter. Often medication or daylight simulating lamps can help. 

As I continue to mark the days off the calendar and countdown to Spring, I have to look for ways to overcome feelings of winter blues. If I was a bear I could hibernate and not worry about it, but I'm not so I'll do the best I can and look forward to what's to come. I can't wait til the bluebirds start to nest, they're so cheery and colorful. And they make me feel happy.