Have you noticed? Winter seems to be holding on. Each morning, the temperature can’t seem to make its way above 40 or 41 degrees. My relatives and friends in Minnesota would scoff at this, especially this year—their winter has been brutal. But even in temperate Seattle, it’s hard to feel great about the weather when you can still feel winter’s grip, no matter how much it has weakened.

I’m not one to suffer Seasonal Affect Disorder, or at least I can say that even if winter drives me a little crazy, it doesn’t render me severely depressed, sad, and despondent. But it can drag the best of us down. I’ve even talked to a few native Seattle residents who have said that March can sometimes be too much for them.

Here’s my solution: if you see the sun, drop everything and get out there. My office window faces east, so when I see clients in the late morning I find it a lot harder to concentrate with the sun streaming in. (I manage to do it, but still!) So between sessions I dash out and take in the growing light.

Another trick: pay close attention to the evening light. I noticed last night that there was still quite a bit of light in the sky at 7:45 p.m. Remember: in late December the light is gone around 4:30!

Finally, if you’re really having trouble believing that spring is on its way, take a few extra moments to look down and notice what’s happening to the landscape. Today I was driving to an appointment in the Rainier valley, and as usual I was running late. After the appointment ended I drove back the same way, but this time I noticed something astonishing: on every block, along every planting strip, hundreds of daffodils were shining in the spring sun. There they were, spreading out on both sides of the street, like a bright yellow wave of color opening up in front of me. How did I miss them when I was coming from the other direction? Was I really that late? Was my appointment really that important?

Just a few seconds is all it takes to stop and notice the breathtaking beauty of the early days of spring. Yes, it’s still chilly. But there are flowers everywhere, the moon is waxing, and the sun was shining for hours today. Did you notice? Will you promise yourself to take a look tomorrow?

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 18th, 2008 at 10:35 pm and is filed under Feeling Mad, Sad, or Afraid. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.