Wreath of May

©MCD

He woke up early to make it so it would brighten her day.

It was a tradition on Mayday to make a wreath of colourful flowers and hang it on the door. It symbolised the arrival of Spring, the time when everything is in bloom and when there is an overwhelming sensation that everything is possible.

The colours were abundant all around. It was almost like magic. Like an artist’s frame coming to life.

She smiled widely at his ‘good morning’ and just the thought of what was waiting outside their door.

At the simple sight of the colourful wreath, she instantly forgot all that had troubled her out of sleep the previous night.

It’s the simple things that make the greatest difference after all.

If you can’t find Spring

“And if Spring arrives and it’s cloudy and drizzly?”

“‘If you can’t find spring, you make it’, as the great Greek poet Elytis said.”

“How?”

“One little step, one colourful thought, one bright action at a time.”

We often tend to make things more difficult than they are. We allow our imagination to override our rationale and we make mountains out of molehills, fearing the worst, instead of envisioning the best case scenarios.

If we control our mindsets, we may be able to spring up our daily lives too, one sunny day at a time.

Light and colour

©Trish Nankeville

There’s something inspiring about waking up to light and colour. It helps awaken your senses and boost your mood. And when you emit a positive vibe, you feel more confident, like you can take over the world if you have to.

He would bring her flowers every morning simply to see that radiant smile of hers.

She would beam like spring in bloom and he would boast of a mission accomplished.

It was simple things like that that made every day special. Monotony was dangerous, and boredom was lethal. It was keeping the spark alive that made it all worthwhile.

Also part of Friday Fictioneers

Blossoming days

©MCD_Delphi

Weekend escapes are reviving mainly because they offer the much-needed getaway from our routine. Regardless of whether it’s boring or not, we all need some time away from what we usually do. If only, to change our perspective on life by merely altering the scenery around us and opening our eyes to something new.

Going to places abundant with myths and history is rejuvenating in more ways than the obvious.

And as spring approaches, nature is seemingly beautifying itself to welcome such excursions.

One of the most beautiful images of this time, is a cherry blossom in bloom.

It is so rare – the full bloom may only last a week – and short-lived (have a lifespan of 30-40 years) emphasising that pretty things should be enjoyed as long as they last, almost urging you to live the moment.

In Japanese folklore, cherry blossoms – sakura – represent the impermanent nature of life. They symbolise both birth and death, beauty and violence, as they historically signified the short but colourful life of the samurai.

Cherry blossoms are a symbolic flower of the spring, a time of renewal, and the fleeting nature of life.

Whatever they are believed to symbolise or represent, they are a majestic sight, reminding us that there is beauty everywhere, and can be enjoyed no matter how little it lasts. As long as you have the will and open-mindedness to do so.

Spring lockdown

©Ceayr

It was the warmest day spring had brought so far, with cloudless skies and a light breeze, everything seemed to emit positive vibes.

But in reality, the city was in lockdown. Trying to fight a threat as serious as any war or even worse than anything it had been called to face during its history, the entire country was prompted to stay at home, to avoid contact as much as possible, and to keep clean and safe to avoid a deadly virus.

Twenty years in the 21^st century, despite all our advancements, we’re teaching people how to wash their hands.

Also part of Friday Fictioneers

The Earth’s laughter

©MCD

“The Earth laughs in flowers” said Ralph Waldo Emerson. And you can see it with the first bright, sunny days, flowers all around us begin to bloom filling life with colour. And with that, hope, light and optimism. For where the earth continues to bloom, so does the belief that things will become better.

It is the reason we are so happy and radiant when someone surprises us with flowers. Or why our mood immediately changes when we find colourful, blooming flowers in our garden or on our balcony.

But like all beautiful, worthwhile things in life, they need commitment, effort and determination.

Have in mind, though: “When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower” (Alexander Den Heijer). And like The Little Prince so rightly reminds us “It is the time wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important”.

“All the flowers of the tomorrows are in the seeds of today” – Indian proverb.

 

The Spring Swallow

When he opened the window that morning, he was greeted by a swallow speedily flying by. It was the first of this year’s spring and it was busily gathering material to build its nest. A new generation was coming. And for him, it was a sign that better days were near.

He woke her up with a kiss on the forehead and led her to the window. Eyes still half shut, she was excited to see the small bird. It was now sitting across their window on a wire, chirping happily.

The day began cloudy. It was not the sunny morning all meteorologists were talking about the day before.  But that didn’t ruin their mood.

They decided to go for a walk. Something carefree and unrushed. That was what weekends are for – to be able to decompress from the daily stress we all experience during the week.

Yet the day turned out to be an adventure. They discovered a rescue park for sea animals, something which fascinated them so much, they promised to return. And then, there was that small, cosy restaurant they went to, where everyone was – unexpectedly and contrary to the norm – friendly, kind and helpful. For the first day in a long while, they managed to enjoy their lunch and even made new acquaintances.

It is nice to feel loved, especially when it comes from the most unexpected and unlikely of sources. But what is even better, is when you discover those little gems of life in places you never thought to look.

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is though nothing is a miracle. The other as though everything is a miracle”.  – Albert Einstein

 

Also part of Daily Prompt: Swallow

The intruding spring

Henry woke up when a bed spring penetrated his mattress and scratched his knee calf. The sting was enough to make him jump out of bed. Then, he had to get up.

He wasn’t a morning person. Not everybody is. Despite the fact that he was well aware of the French saying that the world belongs to those who get up early (“le monde appartient à ceux qui se lèvent tôt”); he was more of a supporter of the Italian one that it is sweet to do nothing (“dolce far niente”).

This was one of those mornings when he’d rather stay in bed. Henry was the type of person who upon knowing that he had a list of things to do, could not find the urge to do any of them. Instead, he would find other things to do, making his list grow longer.

He was the person who would always find something to do. His problem wasn’t not having something to do, but rather never having enough time to do it. Sometimes even desire.

But today it was different. The intruding spring made him realise that sometimes it is better to get up early because you enjoy more of the day, particularly on mornings illuminated by sunlight. Plus, you often have the chance to spend more time with the people you love.

So despite the inappropriate wake-up call, the day would develop much better and by nightfall Henry would be glad he was pushed out of bed so early.

There is always a more positive side to everything; if you’re open-hearted enough to see it.

That sense of Spring

It’s when the first warm rays of sun slice through your window that it strikes you. When that warmth diffusing into your skin and you turn your head to view a clear blue sky. That is when you feel it. How exhausted you are from not stopping even a minute to just…breathe.

When the birds begin to sing louder and in a greater chorus; when light and music overwhelms your living space; when you open the doors and windows to welcome in the fresh air; when colour takes over more of the day; and when everything seems so much more vivid and more alive, that is when you know Spring has come.

And you feel it inside you too. That need to relax a bit, to do something different, to get away even for a few hours. You see it around you – cabriolet cars and motorbikes start to appear more often, walks on the beach become the norm, and people are overtaken by the urge to sit outside and soak up the sun.

It all becomes more vivid in Spring. That sense that we should be grateful to be alive and that we should be relishing each and every moment we have.

 

Also part of Daily Prompt: Vivid