Spring Cleaning

When my mother cleaned house, everyone cleaned house. With four children, my mother cleaned something everyday, of course, but spring cleaning was a ritual both exhausting and exhilarating.

I shared a room with my two sisters, our three twin beds pushed together with the youngest in the middle. I remember my excitement watching my parents move our mattresses to the front yard, where they were propped on chairs to air in the sun. Curtains were taken down to be washed, letting in the morning sun. Suddenly our room seemed huge! And dusty.

After gathering the stray socks, lost toys, and crumpled paper from the floor, my older sister and I entertained our younger sister and brother while my parents wiped down the walls, washed the windows, and mopped the floor. How wonderful everything looked that evening. Toys neatly arranged on the shelves behind our beds made with fresh linens. Curtains ironed and rehung. Clothes neatly stored. All seemed right with the world.

I don’t empty my rooms down to bare walls these days, but there’s something about the spring sun, the warmer temperatures, and the brighter light that makes me want to start fresh, to get my life in order. As I emerge from my faux hibernation stage of Janu-weary and Febru-dreary, I find a renewal of my energy.

I know I’m not alone in this.

Both history and science support the idea of a pseudo-hibernation during the winter months. Those of us who live in places where it gets cold tend to sleep more, eat more, and move more slowly. Whether we’re perusing seed catalogs or finally reading that lengthy novel we set aside, winter is a time to rest and reflect, to gather by a crackling fire, tell stories and dream of warmer days to come.

When they arrive, working in the yard brings a lightness of spirit. I revel in the renewal of the earth, flowers blooming, trees budding, birds singing, and join in the praise. As I clean inside, I purge belongings I no longer cherish, passing on usable items to those who want them. Objects can weigh us down. Letting go of them allows us to also let go of the emotions tied to the objects, and that, too, makes us feel lighter.

Remember to take care of yourself while taking care of spring chores around the house and garden.

What things are weighing you down? What relationships burden you? What fears limit you?

Is it time to let them go?

To free yourself to be yourself?