The Estuary Between Light and Dark

The Winter term is over and I'm cruising into Spring Break. The days slowly elongate, as if the sky is reckoning with the fact that at some point shortly, there will be more sun than moon. Every time this year, I wake up to faint rays of sun peering in through my curtains, confusing me about what time of day it is. When I glance at my clock, I'm surprised that it's an hour earlier. I love that my mornings aren't greeted by the residue of the night, but by the glimmer of day. This inspires hope and happiness into my day; something to look forward to. The first two weeks of March is one of my favorite times of the year. It's a time to appreciate that I made it through the winter, and to celebrate all the activities that the warmer weather invites. 

When I walk outside, the air is different too. It doesn't greet the skin on my face with a cold, hard no. Instead, it's dewier, fresher, and tingles around the corners where my mask meets the skin of my face. Afternoon strolls are the best right now. When I go out from between 3-4 PM, the sun is just beginning to set. It casts golden rays through the evergreens, which seem almost to lift their slouched branches at the prospect of longer, warmer days. I glance at the grass. Even though what I see are the remains of last year's lawns, the grass looks hopeful atop the muddy earth, wet from the remaining mounds of melting, dirty snow. 

And finally, people are evidently happier. Most people have recognized that the worst of winter is (hopefully/probably) over, and for a city that's buried in snow for far too many more months than most residents would like, this period of time is almost like the estuary between light and dark. It's during these brief, precious weeks of the year, that the darkness of winter and the lightness of the upcoming warmer months blend together. In the grocery store, I see people less grouchy, less harried. In my neighborhood, people aren't drowning in thick scarves, hats, and gloves when they walk so they wave. I'll cherish these last weeks at home during this precious time of year before spring waves hello.