Removing the dross

I smile as I see the buttercups in the yard waving their perfect blooms as if spring is already here.  The warmth as of late belies the fact that the calendar says there are several more weeks until it’s official.

It’s one of my favorite seasons..all the renewing of the trees, flowers, even self. Self? Yep. In many paths, there are celebrations of all this renewal, but few give thought that to have all this, one must also remove the dead. Catholics after all their gaiety and celebration have Ash Wednesday(day of atonement) and then Lent..a 40 day time of sacrifice in order to prepare for a rebirth(Easter). I too use this time in a similar fashion. Beginning with Fet ghede, after the honoring of ancestors, I use the darker months as reflection.  Time to see where I can tweak, change or even toss things. So begins the spring renewal after all celebrations are over, the air warms my spirit, and the first blooms appear to bring a smile on my face. I begin to clean house.  This isn’t always in a literal sense,although looking around, I see there  are things that can be recycled, tossed or given away. My “house” is my physical and spiritual self. Watching as others flail, I am reminded that I too am sometimes unsteady in the water and while I am not in danger of drowning, I do need to sink my feet a little deeper in the soil so I am not swayed one way or the other with something that neither suits me nor fulfills me. So I have pulled into myself a little as of late. Not to shut others out really, but to ask those who guide me how better to achieve what I am seeking…to gain a new awareness of self and knowledge in which to apply it. They have been helpful in the past, so I’m looking forward to seeing where they lead me.

I’ve also begun to take better care of the physical. No, I am not laying down the rum…that’s probably at the bottom of the list if I were to make one.  I have decided to give up the diet cokes I live on…from the time I leave the house until I get home…that’s a lot of soda..not healthy.  Tea at least has restorative properties and I’ve begun drinking more.  Green tea with honey and ginseng in the mornings and iced tea throughout the day with a hot cup of chamomile with honey before bed. The Rum?  Oh it’s in there somewhere ;). I am also walking more.  I sit in hell all day, and to make money, I don’t get up often.  So its hard on my aging body with its arthritic aches and pains.  I’ve read where longer slow walks are actually better than running full stop, so I’ve decided to try it out. Even a mile a day is better than nothing right? On the bright side it is healthier for the old ticker which likes to remind me of my human form from time to time.

So even though I dont celebrate traditionally as other faiths, this is my time of renewal..I’ve even gotten a friend to tap into my “no soda” ban, although her resolve may be slipping just a tad since she dreamed of having a coke the other night,lol.  We’ll see how she does.  But even if you dont reach for the mundane things to change, search for something that could use a sprucing up..it doesn’t have to be big.  All journeys start with a single step..