The Sweet Air of Spring

The Sweet Air of Spring

Words and Photos by Ashley Herrin

I seem to fall in love with all seasons in New England, but for some reason, Spring tugs at the heart-strings even more so than the beckoning stars of the summer night, the quiet fall of the Autumn leaves or the snow that blankets the region and creates a winter wonderland. Spring is slow to arrive. Per usual, New England's weather never seems to cooperate and is as fickle as the bus schedule during a snow storm. It always seems as though it's taking a painstakingly long time to arrive each year over the last. But slowly and surely, it arrives. The first signs this year were as vivid as if they happened yesterday. A rogue forsythia was in full bloom well before any other plants had signs of new life upon their branches. It's starky branches shooting yellow flowers into the sky as if greeting the sun. Temperatures had soared into the fifties that day. It was still only March and snow patches dotted the ground, but this courageous sign of life sent excitement shooting through my veins.

Instead of taking the bus to my destination that afternoon, I walked. You see, Spring has this sort of 'hold' over you. It's somewhat hard to describe, but it manipulates you, steering you in a new direction ever so inconspicuously. I ended up walking well over five miles that day. From Fenway through the South End, into the Common and beyond, I walked until my hands and feet had swelled. In my eyes, it was the first day of Spring and I was head-over-heels for the happiness it was making me feel.

Spring forces you back into nature. For me, this is a welcome urging. I live for open spaces and cherish every minute spent outdoors. Once the temperatures warm up, I even opt to take the entrance on the opposite side of my office building, just so I can spend another minute with nature. One of my favorite parts of the season is that you start to notice things that you maybe had not before. For what seems like too many months, you've become dull to the same barren and gray sites. Just last week I marveled at the beauty of a wisteria tree, draped in it's purple cloak. A few weeks prior it was merely twig and branches that spilled over the concrete barrier lining the Massachusetts Turnpike.

The transformation over the landscape is marvelous — it's wonderful what Spring can do! Muted colors spring back to life, green becomes green again! Days get a little bit longer, the temperatures start to rise just a little bit. Like the world around you, you feel alive again! Energized and excited to enjoy the beauty of the season. One of my favorite quotes regarding spring goes like this; "When all the world appears to be in a tumult, and nature itself is feeling the assault of climate change, the seasons retain their essential rhythm. Yes, fall gives us a premonition of winter, but then, winter, will be forced to relent, once again, to the new beginnings of soft greens, longer light, and the sweet air of spring."

Here's to new beginnings, the color green and the 'sweet air of spring.'