Why Spring Cleaning?

(photo by Chetan Kolte on Unsplash)

The snow has just hit late this year, so some of you may not be ready to think about spring cleaning right now. Therefore, I will very gently nudge you towards this idea, as I sit in front of my fireplace with thick wool socks on and a cat on my lap.

Why is spring cleaning even a thing? For me, personally, it is highly therapeutic.

It marks a lifting of the heavy weight of winter and the beginning of lightness, both visual and spiritual. Through the long winter, I literally collect dust (mostly cat fur). In every corner of my home, it lingers, keeping me warm and lazy. As the days start to lengthen, I feel a gradual impulse to move and lift the blankets off. When the first budding crocuses crack the earth, so do I crack the surface of my own nest to face the new dawn.

Why am I waxing poetic this morning? I’m trying to find a nicer way to approach cleaning my house. The glass door is covered in paw prints and the photographs on display are hiding under a sheet of grime. Every surface is covered in piles of books and the scrawled notes of a writer.  The back patio furniture is buried in tarps and thickly coated with birdseed. This has been my sanctuary long enough.

It’s time to stretch my limbs and go outside. There is life to be lived beyond these pages. The oceanside and forest are calling me back to enjoy their strolls and inhale their rejuvenating scents. There are new discoveries waiting to be unearthed around every corner.  Who knows? There may even be a beguiling pastry shop along the way.

So join me, I beckon you, to rejoice in the coming of spring. Fluff yourself up and straighten out your nest. You will feel transformed and energized. Plant a plant. Eat a vegetable. Touch your toes and dust off your bicycle seat. The world is waiting just for you.

What do you look forward to most with the coming of spring? Please share a comment below.