Spring

I was once told that people have a mental image of themselves as being of a certain age.

Some see themselves as perpetual teenagers.  They run around full of energy, excited at everything, acting irresponsibly, and being passionate about everything and everyone even up into their twilight years.  These people really enjoy their youth.

Others have an image of themselves as elderly and they are very reserved.  Even when they’re young they tend to take things slowly, they’re somewhat dubious about new experiences and prefer to sit back and observe life.  They have everything figured out in their later years.

In this regard I think I have always been middle-aged and possibly that is why I am finally hitting my stride now that my physical age begins to match my mental age.  But more on that another time.

As to seasons I suppose that I have always been an Autumn person and that Spring leaves me feeling a bit underpowered and listless.  I find it to be a season of increasingly hot and humid weather.  After a cool dry Winter I find the heat and humidity sapping my strength and I know that there won’t be any respite for at least 6 months or more.  But more than that, I am at the farthest point in the year away from my natural Autumn and I can palpably feel the loss of power within me.

In some ways this sets up a conflict within me.  Spring is supposed to be the season of renewal and growth and here I am feeling the opposite.  But at the same time I can appreciate all the colors of the blooming flowers, the new crop of squirrels, baby birds, kittens, and other neighborhood animals that will be appearing around the neighborhood.

I grit my teeth and bear it and remind myself that it’s all part of the necessary cycle of life.  The fresh green leaves, the blooming flowers, life springing anew.  It’s all necessary to bring my vibrant Autumn colors that I love.  Spring slowly ramps up and gets ready to deliver Summer to us and we here in Houston look on with a little bit of trepidation as it approaches.