Spring Forth and Prosper
May 25 2023
Written By Nicki Thebault
I find May to be the most inspiring month. Watching the world come back to life after a brutal winter always opens doors in my mind. The warm sun feeds my seriously starved motivation and I always feel a bit more inspired to commit, to socialize and to try new things. Why do humans choose to wallow all winter instead of restoring for reemergence like nature does? Wallowing takes so much emotional energy. Finding people to complain to and with, being resentful of your winter body, being unmotivated for simple activities and blaming it on the weather feels so commonplace but it’s so exhausting. We should take note from nature - rest, restore, go inward so that we can grow and thrive and learn when the sun warms us again. Life is an ebb and a flow, not an all-out sprint. We must stop and breathe, take in our surroundings from the mindset we currently reside in and move forward with new focus. But pausing to rest doesn’t mean we have to go entirely dormant and start from scratch.
Seasonal changes can be hard. We’re just getting used to a way of life and bam, it’s time to switch gears and move on to a new way. I’ve always liked habitual practices and routine but every time the season changes so does my routine. It’s like this natural shake up and it takes time for my brain to catch up to the new needs. This season change I felt ready to shift. It’s been pleasant and oddly peaceful. I say that now, but school ends this week and I know I won’t be singing the same tune. I sat back and thought about what I uknowingly did different this winter from winters past. What allowed me to feel prepared for a new season? What I realized is I never stopped going outside this winter. I didn’t change my workout to something more suitable for cold weather. I woke up at the same time, regardless of the darkness. I kept reading and didn’t binge watch tv (ok I did have a brief Vikings of Valhalla phase but just google the main character, Harald, and you’ll understand). We all need a heat source in the winter months.
I kept to a sweet spot of nourishing my mental health without overcommitting to huge changes. It’s really been a wonderful place to find myself in and it happened very naturally. It makes me realize that I am in fact aging because this whole “drink my coffee by the same window every morning so I can watch the birds” is definitely something my grandparents did. I now understand the ethos. Find the small things that bring you joy and stick to them. Rely on them when you need a boost. Allow them to carry you through the dark months and take notice of how they change along with you. We will always need a refresher from the mundane but that doesn’t mean we need to reinvent ourselves every time we need a tweak. Find a few sweet spots in your life and let them remain season after season. These are our pillars and they keep us rooted so we can survive the winds that come with each new season. Cheers to spring drizzles and freshly decluttered closets!
The Menu
- Asparagus and Spring Pea Cacio e Pepe
- Citrus and Herb Marinated Grilled Chicken
- Sweet Ricotta and Strawberry Jam Cake
The Pairing
Two Shepards Trousseau Gris 2021 $30 - flavors: white tea, under ripe peach and pink grapefruit flavors