Spring resolutions?

Welcome to April! There are several wonderful things I say and do every April. First and foremost, I buy beautiful flowering plants for our front porch. I kill the plants in May. But it’s not May yet. It’s April. Every April I decide to plant a garden. I don’t actually plant the garden, but I always deem that it’s a wonderful idea. There are several positive and uplifting things I say every April: “I think I’ll clean out closets.” “I’m gonna wash the car every week.” “Let’s re-paint the rocking chairs on the front porch.” “This is the year I’ll learn Japanese.” I don’t know. There’s just something about spring that makes me feel invincible.
But reality soon sets in and I find that I’m not the Wonder Woman of Spring. Not even close. Some of you highly industrious readers are busy cleaning baseboards this time of year. I also accomplish special cleaning goals in the spring. I decide to finally wipe the strawberry jelly off the floor by the trash can ... and it’s only because I got tired of sticky shoes. Some of you clean out the attic every April. I clean the toothpaste globs out of the sink. Some of you wash windows in an elaborate process that takes all day. I celebrate the fact that I finally found the TV remote under the couch. Industrious folks tend to move furniture, wash draperies and shampoo carpets every spring. I clean the toilets and wash the bathroom rugs. Yes, if you clean a toilet in the month of April, you can say that you have been spring cleaning. It’s spring. It’s cleaning. Why is that so complicated?
But at our house the scariest thing about spring is the focus on lawn care. I’ll never forget our realtor’s comment when we bought our beautiful place in the country seven years ago. She said, “It’s a great property but that huge yard is gonna work you to death.” Funny. It hasn’t worked us to death. Not even close. We’ve managed to mow without edging. We’ve enjoyed the azaleas without having to remove every leaf from the flower bed. May I address all you lawn care over-achievers for a moment? Remember those leaves you were so busy raking last fall? We left ours on the ground all winter and just chewed them up with the mower last week. Yes, that counts as spring cleaning. We chewed up leaves with a riding lawn mower. Go ahead and check that off the list. Our modest method of lawn care has gone quite nicely with our policy of not washing windows. We like to think it keeps everything in perfect balance.
I love this time of year. I love the weather and the flowering trees and the beautiful azaleas. I even love the fact that some people get their homes and yards in perfect order every April. That’s a noble goal. But for those of you who don’t plan to clean out the attic or have your lawn featured in “Better Homes and Gardens,” there’s still hope for a wonderful spring. It’s time to prepare our hearts for Easter. So even if you don’t clean the baseboards or wash your car or learn Japanese, you can still celebrate the blessings of new life.
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For more information about Lisa Smartt, visit her website lisasmartt.com.

Published in The Messenger 4.6.11

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