Today is the first day of spring!
For the past several years, when spring is upon us, I always remind readers to celebrate its arrival by doing activities like heading outside for nature walks, picnicking, gardening, birdwatching, or just spending time in nature to appreciate all the changes of the season.
But what if you’re not physically able to take advantage of the sights and smells and the sunny warmth of these activities? How can you celebrate and herald the arrival of spring if you’re physically limited?
There are lots of ways to acknowledge the changes in seasons and all the goodies that go along with spring bursting forth if you’re in a wheelchair or if you use a walker or even if you can only celebrate from indoors.
Depending on your level of mobility, here are a few ideas to celebrate the new season:
~if you’re stuck indoors and can only view the changes in seasons from your bed, perhaps there’s a window that be opened to allow spring’s fresh air in. I’ve been known to park myself in a sunbeam in early spring with a comforter wrapped around me because, while sunny, it’s still chilly. But the fresh air is invigorating. Spring sir is fresh and new and doesn’t carry the dreary grayness of dark and rainy days. Even the spring rains carry more life force, providing all the encouragement tiny buds need to flourish.
~Perhaps it’s time to install a bird feeder to attract all the cheerful and very active birds to your view. I prefer to have a hummingbird feeder because 1) those tiny creatures are magical and 2) no seed casings get scattered about making a mess or enticing other larger and more pesky critters.
~If you’re able to travel by car, obviously, go for a ride to the park or the coast or lake. If you don’t live in an apartment where flora and fauna abound, but you’re able to be transported, spending time in nature, even just from the back seat of a vehicle does wonders to remind you of the season’s changes.
~Bring spring indoors! Create a colorful vision board with vibrant photos of gorgeous spring flowers from magazines or printed out from online sites. These pictures are an excellent second-best way to appreciate their proliferation just beyond our grasp.
A few more ideas …
Other ideas for observing today’s beginning of Spring 2024 is to invite the grandkids over to make spring cookies with flower-shaped cookie cutters and multiple shades of bright icing to decorate. Or you might ask a family member or friend to pick (or purchase) some spring flowers to have next to wherever you spend most of your day. While tree or bush limbs with tiny flowers on them don’t last very long, Gerber daisies or alstroemeria (Peruvian Lillies) last several days and can brighten up any room. Finally, consider coloring books with the outline of what will be vibrant images after you use colored pencils.
If you have limited mobility or know of someone who might be interested in commemorating spring, what ideas can you share that might help spread the joy?