How to Thrive During Spring, the Moodiest Season
the BUT/AND strategy for happily accommodating its tricky true nature!
I once ran into a friend on the streets of Soho on an early October day so warm it felt like summer. He was dressed in fall finery: suede loafers, corduroy trousers, a tweedy jacket, and a sweater, all in earth tones. I said hello and complimented his seasonally appropriate wardrobe.
Visibly sweating, he laughed and said, “Oh, I’m way too hot! The calendar says fall, but the weather says otherwise. I really rushed the season.”
I feel that impulse keenly at this time of year when it’s officially springtime, but many days still feel like winter. I want to put away my heavy coat, gloves, and turtleneck in favor of a snappy trench, ballet flats, and t-shirt, but doing so risks miserable shivering.
Like a beautifully decorated cake that reveals itself to be stale upon first bite, spring always disappoints me, and I’ve long grumbled that it’s my least favorite season.
But this year, I’ve found the trick to appreciating it: dropping my expectations and accepting that this is a two-steps-forward, three-steps-back season, during which there will be more warmth and daylight, birdsong, and flowers to savor AND plenty of opportunities to maintain my favorite winter habits.
Spring, I’ve realized, is a season that likes to hit the snooze button a few times before getting out of bed. It’s not lazy or infuriatingly unpredictable; it’s simply sensitive and shy. The last thing spring wants is to be rushed. And by graciously accepting spring’s true nature, I’m more able to embrace it.
My strategy for happily accommodating spring’s changeable moods?
I’m using a BUT/AND approach…
Wear more color but don’t underdress. I’ve dusted off my multi-colored cross-body bag (no longer in stock, but similar to this) and am wearing a winter coat, gloves, warm socks, and a hat when the weather calls for it.
Drop everything to go outside when the sun’s out, and…
…keep the firewood basket stocked for roaring fires inside on cold, grey, wet days.
Eat lighter but keep it comforting. This clean and cozy chicken noodle soup, this plain risotto from The Art of Simple Food, and this slow-roasted chicken and green bean dish are all in my current rotation, and we grill outside anytime the weather cooperates.
Appreciate the longer days and later sunset, but…
…keep the bed dressed in flannel sheets for maximum coziness!
On gloriously warm afternoons, my favorite activity is to sit outside by a fire, wrapped in blankets, my face turned to the sun. I’d love to know: how do you feel about springtime? Are you coping or thriving?!
Entertaining, amusing, thought-provoking miscellanea from the Interwebs: NBD, just THE Arnold Palmer making an Arnold Palmer! // Caroline Chambers’s easy-but-fancy spring party menu (including grocery list and game plan) is a public service! // The inspiring story of the dedicated teacher who got the attention of an award-winning author // My Mother’s Death Blew Up My Life. To Fix It, I Opened a Business. And it just happened to be a bookshop that also serves wine! // Becky Malinsky’s solution for spring dressing conundrums: the flannel! // LOL’d watching Barbie’s (and Ken) discuss our greatly changed water consumption habits // Sarah Knight helps us figure out whether you really have to and sums it all up in a handy (sweary) flowchart //
That’s it for me this week! Thank you for reading, and see you next Friday! xo Amelia
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This is so lovely! What a beautiful mindset to bring to this time of year