With spring almost here…but, wait, we’re under freeze warnings in the South and it’s snowing up ‘Nawth. I mean, whaaat??
Despite the weather, let’s tackle the season. What memories does spring evoke for you? What does this time of year call to mind? Good thoughts, bad thoughts, indifference? Even indifference as a lack of emotion is worth pursuing.
What does it feel like? Did you have new clothes? Did you celebrate Passover or Easter or another holiday? Was it warm or still cold where you lived? Did it snow on the flowers? Or, was it a respite of warmth before the summer heat?
Were there special foods? The spring asparagus, new peas, or lamb and ham come to mind. What special dishes did your family eat? Or, did you wish for more food on the table?
What were the smells of spring? Did you have Easter lilies in the house? Did you go to a relative’s house where the smells and sounds were different? Did you feel more awake coming out of winter with more sunlight? Was your spring in the months of March, April and May in the Northern Hemisphere, or was it in September, October and November in the Southern?
What did the world look like to you? Was there green pollen all over your car and house? Were the trees in bloom? Did the bulbs produce brightly colored flowers? Did the desert landscape take on new hues? Were you still skiing in the mountains?
Did the birds wake you up in the morning? What are the sounds of your spring? Your mom yelling at you to get out of bed? Your dad cursing while doing taxes? Your siblings fighting? Or was there silence?
The important part of this exercise is to put yourself back in time and notice the things around you, and then notice what emotions come from reliving those moments.
We have to feel it to write it.