In Judith Lawrenson’s Skating Uphill column on page 42, she mentions there are three times of the year she hates: New Year’s, her birthday and spring, all because she gets the uncontrollable urge to purge, spring clean and organize. Not to throw Judith, who is a good friend of mine, under the bus, but Judith, let’s put this into perspective: None of those times of the year require a bathing suit.

I admit I have a love-hate relationship with bathing suit season. I love it because I adore the water! I can stay in the pool or ocean all day long. I enjoy swimming, boating, going to the beach, going to the pool—all of it. The downside is the attire—the dreaded swimsuit.

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”
— George Bernard Shaw —

I’m beyond ready to lift the weight of the world off my shoulders! I’m sure you are, too. Life as a parent, daughter, business owner, bill-payer and generally responsible adult is hard, and last year made it worse. As such, the little bit of playfulness I had left that adulting had not extinguished, burned out quickly. 

Many experts agree that playing is not a luxury, but a necessity. But of course, they are referring to children. Didn’t George Bernard Shaw say youth is wasted on the young? Despite not having done any research, nor having any credentials in psychology, I’m going to declare that play is a necessity for adults, too. 

We humans are a funny lot. We are smart (compared to animals)
(well, some of us), complex, advanced, emotive, capable-of-learning,
top-of-the-food-chain dominators.
However, there are some simple theories most of us just can’t seem to
absorb into our thick, upright-standing brains.

Lesson 1: Are you aware that hot pizza burns the roof of your mouth? Of course you are, and you know this because you have burned the roof of your mouth with hot pizza…more than once. And yet, for some reason, we, and I’m talking about, you and the entire human race—although 3-billion pizzas are consumed in the United States every year and only 5-billion total in the entire world, so technically this is an American problem—continue to burn our mouths on pizza at an alarming rate.

“Our bodies and souls are our gardens to which our wills are gardeners.”
— William Shakespeare —

I can’t help but smile as I drive around daily seeing the colorful, visual explosion of red bud trees, Bradford pears, azaleas, and all the glorious blooms of the season. With the exception of pollen, which is a necessary evil, this is my favorite time of the year. It’s when we all come out of our shells on Doldrums Lane and shake off the heaviness of winter to open up to the power of sunshine and nature. It is the time of year when growth likes to show out a bit, bloom fully and bask.

Ah. It almost appears that I am no longer talking about flowers, and indeed I’m not. I’m talking about personal growth—something just as beautiful and exciting as spring in full bloom!

I would say I’m not a quitter, but I am. It’s very hard to admit because
I’ve always prided myself on going the distance, above and beyond, do or die.
In thinking both ahead and behind of where I am right now,
it’s clear to see that I am indeed a quitter.
And, I’m sad about it. I always thought better of myself.