Hello friends, you heard from me back in November when it was time to “Fall Back.”
READ: Fall Back, Go Away!
The loss of daylight and then weather that turns cold has never convinced me that I “gained” anything. Seasonal depression is a real thing. It gets me every time, this time of year.
However, I am here to rejoice and sing that we will soon spring forward! My season is almost here, and when that happens, we should all get out and frolic in the extra daylight hours because sunshine is good for the soul.
I don’t even care that we will all be tired from the adjustment. I don’t care that it will get hot. It’s worth what we gain, mentally.
More time to feel the sunshine on my skin, warming me up from the inside out. No bulky winter clothes, flip-flops instead.
The bright minty new leaves that start to sprout on bare trees, the azaleas and their colors that complement beautiful green wild ferns. The birds singing bright and early, the crickets and cicadas humming in sync.
Not to mention gardening season, sunflower season, swimming season, ocean lover season… oh, my! Spring and summer here we come!
I know, I know, this also comes with POLLEN season, which is miserable and gets me every time, but nothing makes me feel more alive than watching Mother Nature do her thing and all that was once dormant come alive in amazing and wondrous ways. So, I want you to get out and frolic once this time changes and the weather starts to warm.
What, exactly, is frolicking you ask?
It’s whatever it is you love to do outside that puts a smile on your face.
I want you to take a family hike down your favorite nature trail, lie down in the grass and look up at the trees as they blow in the warm breeze and feel the earth (but don’t lay down too long or you will get itchy!).
READ: Guide to Great Family Hiking Trails in Jacksonville
Take a walk around our beautiful new Friendship Fountain downtown, have coffee on the porch, or visit a state park, a farmers market, or a flea market to find some neat treasures.
Plant a garden with your favorite flowers or vegetables, watch monarchs transform from caterpillars to butterflies with your kids, and talk to them about how amazing nature is and how it knows exactly what to do in its mysterious ways.
READ: Raising Butterflies with Our Children
Dig your toes into the warm sand or swim in the ocean, because this is exactly what it means to frolic, something that makes you feel happy and warm like you can take over the world.
So I know it will suck trying to adjust to the time change as we “lose” an hour, but what we gain this time of year is so much more. I want you to remember the crazy lady and her Jax Mom article about frolicking, and challenge yourself to get out and try it.
I promise you it will put a smile on your face and create happy family memories. There’s enough negativity in the world, so wouldn’t it be nice to just try it? Get out there and frolic and document the good times so that when the days start to get shorter, you have something to get you through the changing season and look forward to the next.
What are some of your favorite frolicking springtime activities?
