Thoughts On Sunshine, Spring, And Renewal | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

Thoughts On Sunshine, Spring, And Renewal

Turn your face toward the sun.

31
Thoughts On Sunshine, Spring, And Renewal
Imogen Hendricks
“Turn your face to the sun and let the shadows fall behind you.”

Spring has come through the ground and filtered into the air. When I breathe, I can smell trees that were planted decades ago coming to life again. I imagine the hands that dug into the earth and packed it over precious roots. I think of pruning and fig trees and my grandmother. I remember a dress I used to wear – it had petticoats and flowers, I used to wear it and walk alone through the garden. My toes cling to the earth when I walk, barefoot, across wet grass and feel the energy absorb through the soles of my feet; my neck feels looser, my head lighter. With this new flexibility of my bones comes a resilience of the mind. Growth and renewal are all around me and suddenly I remember that I am a living being, not a machine. Machines do not need the sun.

I need the sun.

The feel of it on my skin reminds me that I am growing. I cannot perform photosynthesis but I do remember the way it works – sun in, energy out. Like breath, but that has another name. What I eat has come from the sun and the earth and I am the conduit between them. When I was younger the only way that I could remember that the sun rose in the rose in the east and set in the west was from a Shakespeare quotation. It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. In the mornings I salute the east, grounding my feet and lifting my heart to the sunrise. In the same way as the songbirds feel the light on their feathers and start to sing, I see sunshine and blooms in spring and I feel like my life has started again. I become a newer version of myself, one connected to gardens I have walked through.

It’s important to remember that the sun shines on all people the same way. Clouds don’t choose victims, the sky is innocent and childish, the sun keeps burning. I said we are not machines but our earth is solar powered, coaxing green shoots from the earth. That’s what always surprises me about spring: how quickly the grass grows. Like a celebration. It’s the same every year but it never loses its wonder – leaves have been browning and falling and budding for millennia but each time I look at them my heart softens.

Look at nature. Find beauty in every movement your body makes – watch how the earth shifts around you as you shift around the earth. Lie on the grass and feel the ground underneath your spine, supporting it. Think of flower bulbs awakening underground and pushing through the earth, think of the journey, how every year a small child is amazed to see daffodils. And blossoms on trees may freeze into tiny, colorful ice cubes but they are still as beautiful. Where I grew up we used to drive past fields upon fields of sunflowers, and sometimes I would walk out into them and feel like a child among giants.

It’s like spring is telling me to turn my face to the sun and wonder.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

15 Times Michael Scott's Life Was Worse Than Your Life

Because have you ever had to endure grilling your foot on a George Foreman?

2599
Michael Scott
NBC

Most of the time, the world's (self-proclaimed) greatest boss is just that, the greatest. I mean, come on, he's Michael Freakin' Scott after all! But every once in a while, his life hits a bit of a speed bump. (or he actually hits Meredith...) So if you personally are struggling through a hard time, you know what they say: misery loves company! Here are 15 times Michael Scott's life was worse than your life:

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

17102
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

3674
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments