Spring

Can you feel them?

The Winter Aconites, the Bluebells and the Daffodils that are waiting to bloom when time hits the 20th day of March and daylight and darkness become brothers once again.

Spring loves daffodils. Mainly because of the fact they're yellow and yellow is a color associated with the sun. It symbolizes hope, energy, joy, happiness and friendship. These are some of the things that she and her friends, Summer and Autumn have lost touch with over the course of the last year.

Spring loves her friends, they connect on an almost celestial level and, without them, she'd be lost. Spring knows what it's like to lose a friend. It's the worst.

There was this one guy right, his name was Winter. Now he was a super cool guy who had these icy good looks and wore his hair slicked back with rainwater-based gel. A year ago, he and Spring were really, really close but then some bad things happened and they fell out and lost touch.

When I say Spring and Winter were really close, what I mean is that they were in love. And inseparable. They did everything together. It was a beautiful kind of love at first but it became evident and clear as time passed that they had too many differences and no matter how much they admired one another, a relationship where they go hand in hand would just never work.

They ended up falling out because Winter went from being cool and consistent to being cold, harsh and unpredictable. He became a bad guy. Whenever he and Spring would hang out, she felt out of control and overpowered and felt like she couldn't bloom or breathe. Winter had a dominant character and took advantage of Spring. He always felt the need to feel as though he were the better of the two seasons. He obtained power and strength to rival that of an anticyclonic storm by making Spring feel small and useless. By taking advantage of her gentle, kind and giving nature and depleting it for his own gain.

It took months of dealing with ups and downs and sun and storms until Spring decided that it would be best they go their separate ways and move on. Their relationship was just too much. Too toxic. At at that point ending the relationship was not just for the best but it was a necessity. Necessary because Spring had lost her freedom. Her aura. Her light. Her identity. Necessary because, the longer she held on, the greater the guilt of letting go and she feared that if she held on any longer, there would be no way out.

We're done, we're over.

And so, on the 21st day of December, they were over. Finished. It was the end of love, the beginning of loss, and damn was it hard. They'd been together for so long that it took months for Spring to figure out how to stand alone on her two warm, leafy-green feet. They'd gotten cold and frail. She suffered awhile with the thought of Winter constantly lingering in her mind and soul, affecting her blooms and her decision making.

Until one day, Summer and Autumn invited Spring over to hang out with them in a little park by the Bloomin' Cafe, a regular hotspot for the seasons. Summer was dressed in warmth and Autumn in evergreen, and the sight of them took Springs breath away. She admired how they walked so gracefully with a glorious, carefree confidence.

Spring glanced at her reflection in a puddle and couldn't recognise herself. She was wearing all black and grey, her t-shirt riddled with snow tears and her lips covered in ice.

Who am I? She repeated to herself over and over again. What have I become? I was beautiful. Happy. Alive. In bloom.

It was at this moment, when she asked herself these questions that a revelation began. Spring was determined to grow back into her true self again. Young, beautiful and carefree. It was her birthday soon and she decided this year she wanted to bloom again. She shouted out towards Summer and Autumn who were giggling by one of the trees and told them she had to run back home to sort out some stuff.

Spring ran home as fast as she could, went into her room and started taking out the clothes in her wardrobe one by one and throwing them into a recycling bag. Black top. Grey pants. Black jeans. Grey shirt. She took the clothes to the nearest charity shop and spent the day treating herself and buying all sorts of clothing, full of flowers and petals adding loads of colors to accessorize.

Once she got home, she tried on a couple of her new outfits, plaited her hair with spring leaves and put on a lil bit of makeup. She looked at herself in the mirror. Wow, she thought. I'm beautiful.

Her birthday, the 20th day of March was fast approaching, Spring decided that in order to bloom on her birthday she needed to wake up everyday and put herself first. She needed to pick up healthy habits again. Eating well, getting enough sleep. Working out. Scheduling 'me time' and indulging and pampering herself in luxuries.

Spring realised too that she hadn't sung in a long time. She loved to sing. She has a beautiful voice, but the last time she sang was during the beginning of her and Winters relationship. I want to sing again. She said.

And so she sang. Every morning and everynight, and she would wake up and go to sleep feeling more like herself everyday. This is why I haven't been able to bloom. She thought to herself. This is why the last year has been full of chaos and no structure. I lost myself and lost trust in who I am and the path the universe has for me. Spring realised for things to turn around for the better, she had to change her mindset and, slowly, everything started falling into place.

It was the morning of Springs birthday. She woke up and was enveloped with a sense of calm.

I'm ready. She said.