April showers bring May flowers.
We really want those oft-referred-to April showers. It has been a mild winter compared to some years, and we could do with some good spring rains.
Spring is an exciting time to look forward to year after year. The weather starts to get warmer, the sun shines brighter, and life just seems full of new beginnings. It would be hard to elaborate on the feeling you get when you sense a nice soft breeze, and the air feels and smells so fresh, but good authors and songwriters have managed to capture it with words in a way we can't. Who can forget Gene Kelly singing and dancing in the rain? And John Denver's “Sunshine” is a classic:
Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy.
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry.
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely.
Sunshine almost always makes me high.
Leo Tolstoy said it well: "Spring is the time of plans and projects."
Who isn't reminded that it's time for spring cleaning? Doors and windows are thrown wide and fresh air invigorates one into cleaning out the dregs of winter. The Clinton Seniors’ Association would very much appreciate any gently-used items for their annual July 1 Yard Sale. Please don't throw anything away that might bring pleasure to someone else. Anything you have to donate can be left on the porch of the Clinton Seniors’ Centre at 217 Smith Avenue. Thank you for your help towards making the July 1 Yard Sale successful.
Thank you also to everyone who helped and supported the Daffodil Tea. Derald Cahley won the door prize. Thank you to Jessica Lawrence of Bubbles' Blossom Design, for obtaining the lovely daffodils. Did they make you think that spring was just around the corner?
We are so fickle. When the winter is cold and seems very long, we yearn for spring and warmer days. When the summer heat persists we yearn for cooler weather and are anxious for another season.
Embracing moderation can bring balance and fulfillment in every aspect of our life. When we wake up every day, we have two choices. We can either be positive or negative; an optimist or a pessimist. It's all a matter of perspective. We can temper our thoughts and our actions.
I had a daughter who had a hard time with this. When she got up in the morning, if it was raining, or even just a grey day, she was in a bad mood all day. We can control our responses to situations, but it takes a little practice. We can refrain from reacting to the issues at hand. We can take some time to think things through. We can temper perspective and maintain a more positive, hopeful attitude.
When things go bad, always remember it could be worse. Never give up. Keep working on your life. Never lose your sense of humour. Stave off depression by thinking of, and reaching out to, others, helping how you can.
Live the Golden Rule, and be motivated and guided by the wisdom of the philosopher Epictetus, who wrote "Curb your desire. Don't set your heart on so many things and you will get what you need."
One day last week I was in my back yard and heard a terrible racket overhead: birds calling to one another. I looked up, and had to look way up. It was a sure sign of spring: a huge flock of sandhill cranes was flying north, returning from warmer climes where they spent the winter in the southern U.S. and central Mexico to breed along the Arctic coast. What a great sight it was!
The next of the Clinton Seniors’ Association is on Thursday, April 17 following lunch at the Clinton Seniors’ Centre.
Happy Birthday to Gloria Ferguson (April 17).
At age 20, we worry about what others think of us. At 40, we don't care what they think of us. At 60, we discover they haven't been thinking of us at all.
Jock Falksin, quoted in “Frontline, South Africa”
