May we survive March
It’s the first day of March and the sun is shining and birds are chirping to the beat of thawing streams. Since Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow when he emerged from the cold, hard ground, today I am officially trading in my sweatpants and winter coat for Capris and a blazer.
Spring is a time for new beginning. Those yellow Easter Peeps aren’t just good for blowing up in the microwave. They remind us that no matter how cold or dark our winter was, we can always start over.
Still, the past few days has made me think that this spring will be extra cleansing. They always say March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. Is that all part of the “new life” spring is supposed to bring?
Today, March 1, was a good morning for me. I woke up refreshed and ready to leave the past behind me. I was ready to leave all my school woes on Testudo’s thawing nose. I lint-rolled my clothes and actually put myself together for the day. The curling iron burns on my hands reveal just how much I am out of practice.
My teeth were brushed and the pep in my step whisked me off to the bus. As the front door of my building opened, I could feel the sun melting away winter. Suddenly, a gust of wind knocked me into the cute guy next to me. While I don’t mind stumbling into a potential date Nicholas Sparks-style, this is not how I wanted to start my day.
March wasn’t looking like the lion now, I was. My perfectly coiffed hair was blown straight out. I will never get back those 15 minutes I spent on the curling iron.
I walk to class and the wind doesn’t die down. If I had a kite I could fly to class but instead it gives me a nice little shove up the long hill to Stamp Student Union. However, when I turn around and go back to the bus, I’m fighting my way against the howling wind like I’m caught in a scene from that really bad movie Twister.
On any normal day I would get mad at the lion that is March. Why even bother making myself look nice in the morning? Why even bother dressing for warmer weather when the wind blows it all apart and chills the air? If spring is a time to be a new me, it sure seems like it’s trying to destroy every ounce of it.
Still, with all the upsets and setbacks I’ve seen this winter, I’m choosing to see this seasonal transition in a new light. The time before spring is dreary and drab, but that can’t stop us from moving forward. The harsh weather that March brings would make me want to run back to my bed and eat those cookies I’ve hibernated on all winter.
However, it’s these trials that make us better. We’ve already survived the deathly cold temperatures of winter, why turn back now? If we can get through the hounding winds of March and the drowning rains of April, those May flowers will be even sweeter.
