Sunshine and Spring

It is a beautiful spring day here in northeast Ohio. My husband and I went out for a walk in the neighborhood. He likes to go fast, I like to go a little slower, and observe my surroundings. We went fairly fast today, because he had a limited amount of time before his next patient (he is a psychologist).

Still, I saw signs of spring! The most notable were a dandelion, and a cluster of purple crocuses (croci?) At our cabin, which is a little so south of here, I have been noticing signs of spring for a few weeks now: Tiny leaves on bushes, more and more birds chattering, and my daffodils are five inches tall. I saw the blue herons settling into their nesting ground in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park weeks ago.

I love spring. It isn't too hot (heat makes me nauseated), and it isn't too cold (cold makes me hurt). I am happy to see the spring, like usual, but we barely had any winter this year. It is likely that we will still see some more winter weather, but not a sustained stretch.

Many people, if not most, thrive on sunlight. Even if you are sensitive to the sun itself, the increasing daylight and warmer days can act as an antidepressant. There is even a form of depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD (how appropriate is that?) that is caused by the shorter days and lack of sunlight. A major treatment of SAD is to sit by a lamp that emits light on a wavelength similar to that of the sun- it does not cause sunburn like a sunlamp could, but it tricks the brain into thinking that the person has been in the sun. The best cure, of course, is real sunshine.

This time of year always makes me happy. I tend to feel more optimistic, more energetic, more alive when spring starts peeking out. It is a time for making new plans, starting new projects. It is a great time to go to a zoo. The animals are more active when the weather is mild. On a trip to the zoo last spring I saw a peacock doing a mating dance and a pair of giraffes working on creating a new giraffe. Most species, including humans, are programed to be more energetic and active this time of year. Take a walk, explore the world around you. Go someplace where you can be with nature. Rejoice in the sunshine. As my grandmother would say, “Its good for what ails you”.