In Praise Of Spring Cleaning

Some people may dread Spring cleaning. Not I, especially not this year. After a year that challenged all of us, and a winter that seemed endless, Spring arrived on a wave of sunshine, brilliant blue skies, and temperatures that hit 60 degrees. To add to my delight, my beautiful 14 year old granddaughter, Gabriella (or Gabby as we call her), came over Friday night to sleep over and, and on the first day of Spring, helped  me tackle the dirt and grit of a winter that soiled our spirits as well as our homes. Thankfully, my tiny apartment is small enough to get the most demanding chores done in one day. 

The spring cleaning chore I always want to get done first is to wash the windows. My home has been shut up for months except for a few days last week when it was warm enough to open the windows in the afternoon for a while. There is something about clean windows that look out on to a vista of blue sky and green grass that warms my heart. It's like cleaning out the sadness and doubt that had set in all winter and opening my heart to let the fresh air of hope and possibility in. Mother Nature cooperated and gave us lovely, warm temperatures so that once they were clean, we were able to keep them open to air the apartment and let everything and everyone inside breathe a sigh of relief. Of course the less pleasant tasks like cleaning cobwebs from the corners and vacuuming out the heating vents were accomplished, but it was the sights and smells of a spring day that made the rest of it a little less daunting. 

There is something about being able to see clearly that changes how we look at the world. This goes not only for windows covered in a film of winter dust and dirt, but of the film of doubt, distrust, and feelings of hopelessness that hide behind the windows of our hearts. Once we make a firm decision to wipe away the negative and throw open the doors of our hearts to what is possible, the world looks new again.

As for me, my windows will be open again today as the forecast is for warmer temperatures for at least the next few days, although I do not doubt that March will show her cold side again before she is gone for the year. But at least I have seen the light, and felt the sun, and know that it's out there just waiting for me to claim it again one warm, sunny day.

And so it is.