I love the spring, but I HATE how everyone decides to schedule all the great events in the spring, but also everyone wants to do dentist appointments and doctor appointments and meetings. All the art groups are like SPRING SHOW!! Art-a-Whirl! The debate association has the annual spring meeting. The circus show is coming up! The band concert! The end-of-the-year music show! The school spring carnival! The May Day festival! The Festival of Nations! Cinco de Mayo parade! Flower show and sale!

Seriously, Minnesota. I know it’s nice to throw off the shackles of our moon boots and our snow shovels, but why don’t we just ENJOY IT then? Why do we have to do ALL THE THINGS RIGHT NOW? Wouldn’t it be nice, community, if we just had a relaxing do-nothing except whatever you want (but no planned events) week? Even just a weekend?

Spring is such a weird time. It’s the beginning of the warm season – we can all come out of our huts! – but it’s the end of the school year. We are celebrating new beginnings: new plants, new life. We are celebrating endings: graduations and elementary “graduations.” I begin to look forward to the summer, but also think hard about all the things I want to do for next fall, when I’m back at school with a fresh start. I look back at the year – god, this year’s been crazy – and reflect. Spring should feel light; we shed the layers of winter and the air feels more fresh. Ironically, spring often feels heavy with nostalgia for the school year and with happy and sad emotions for those who are leaving our school community, both kids and adults. Everything feels crowded with events and emotions and contradictions.

So yeah. Consider cancelling a meeting or an event or something, people. I think we could all use a break.