Spring is my favorite season. I’ve always enjoyed the connotation of its name – a verb that provides energy and potential. Yes, we can “summer,” and we can definitely “winter,” but those terms don’t promise the energetic growth that spring offers.
The mnemonic that we know so well when we change the clocks is to “spring forward,” because as the seasons change, and as we suddenly emerge from our homes in the morning to the crisp fresh air, we are charged with a newfound zest.
It’s no coincidence that the Torah refers to Pesach as Chag HaAviv – the Spring Holiday. Pesach is a time when we annually relive our birth as a nation, having left Egypt energetically, in haste, and having crossed the sea triumphantly with song and dance. We count our days through the spring each and every night as we head towards Shavuos, when we celebrate our having received the Torah, the next milestone from our exodus. Shavuos also commemorates the grain harvest as we transition from spring to summer.
Spring reminds me that each and every day is truly a blessing. I leave my home each day and smell the fresh dew, see the flowers blooming, and enjoy the crisp fresh air. I anxiously look forward to it each year!
