Originally published in the April 2021 issue of Lakeside Living magazine.
The darker the winter, the brighter the blooms come spring. When it seems the world is stuck in a perpetual gray, we wake up one morning to a world set ablaze with vivid blooms. Spring comes like that moment in The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy’s world transforms from black and white to every colorful shade imaginable. How quickly our world can shift. Even the grass looks hopeful these days.
Spring is the gentle time in between extremes. Frigid winters chill our bones, and steaming hot summers leave us languishing near the air conditioning. But spring soothes us in the in-between with rich renewal and hopeful, fresh life. Spring’s flowers may be momentary, but each year we can find joy in that silken, seasonal space in between. During springtime, we too are made new again, like morning.
Warming temperatures mean we can shed our bulky winter layers with more daylight to boost our mood and less darkness to dampen it. The birds return, filling the morning air with their chirping songs while baby animals scamper about with literal bright eyes and bushy tails, but nature’s blooms are the first harbingers of spring.
What is it about a flower that brings us so much joy? Like looking through a kaleidoscope, maybe it’s simply the balanced symmetry of the vibrant colors and petals that’s so pleasing or the fact of their yearly dependability. Individual blooms can also symbolize something more. A red rose for love, yellow for friendship, white flowers for purity and innocence, lilies for loss and remembrance. Flowers can even reflect our personalities in what plants we choose to grow in our yard, the colors and patterns we wear, or the flowers we give to others.
Through some of life’s happiest or most challenging moments, flowers are there for us. Their fragrance contains the essence of time travel, transporting us back to a favorite childhood memory or place or reminding us of loved ones perhaps now lost. Flowers are our messengers of love, apology, and emblems of celebration when we achieve a goal. Fragrant blooms brighten our birthdays and bridal showers; they even comfort us when we grieve.
Studies have shown that looking at flowers can truly make us healthier and happier. Scientists discovered that hospital patients with flowers in their rooms had more positive recoveries with reduced heart rate and blood pressure and lower ratings of pain, anxiety, and fatigue than patients recovering without the presence of blooming plants. Another study from Rutgers University discovered that each person smiled a “true smile,” which reached to their eyes when presented with a bouquet of flowers. Seeing the blooms resulted in elevated moods for even days afterward, leading the scientists to report that flowers had the power to boost our spirits both within a moment and long after.
Although there may still be some dark days ahead, we really should stop and smell the roses, as the saying goes, or notice the cheerful dogwood’s blooms. For your own health’s sake, smile along with the daffodils, notice the royal purples and poppy reds blooming along the roadside or watch some tranquil tulips swaying in the breeze. And before it’s all over, find a dandelion, close your eyes, and blow the seeds across the sky.
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