A Case for Spring

You guys, there are literal birds chirping. My RD's cat is sitting on the windowsill again because there's actually sun to warm her fur. I have my window WIDE open. I'm SO HAPPY.
     You know, I used to call myself a Fall/Winter girl. I think, like many things in my life, I identified this way to be purposely belligerent towards all the happy cheerful people who love spring and summer. But I don't know ya'll. After this weekend I think I might be changing my tune for good. Winter has officially lost its spot on my Favorite Seasons list. Now I'm a Fall/Spring girl. Let me elaborate:

     Last week was rough. I don't admit to being overwhelmed very often because I pride myself on being able to Handle Everything and gracefully Carry the World on My Shoulders, as if anybody is impressed or cares at all. I just don't like to admit that sometimes things are difficult for me. But you know what? Last week was perhaps my least favorite week ever of college so far. It was freezing cold and terribly windy. I missed Koinonia. There was a controversial chapel on Thursday that had the whole campus up in arms. I had a journalism project that required interviewing a professor (UGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH stressful!!!) and taking pictures (which I totally forgot to do and could effect my grade on the project. Commence the internal freakout). I was missing home. I was in a perpetual bad mood. My roommates, love 'em dearly, were also not in the best spirits. It was just lousy and dreary and dreadful.
     Then Saturday came, and the weather was beautiful, but I was still in a pouty self-pitying mood because I had to spend a large chunk of the day indoors with the Orchestra recording a piece of music. I was also overly grumbly because I had to do all of my homework that day. Well, okay, I didn't HAVE to do all of my homework that day, but I made a decision at the beginning of the semester to always try to do all of my weekend homework on Saturday so that I can actually treat Sunday as a day of rest. So I was forcing myself to follow through with this little self commitment, which meant it was past 9:30 on a Saturday night and I was being a major nerd studying for Spanish and reading for my Bible class. It was a Saturday niiiight for goodness saaaake, I should be doing something funnnnnn. Waah waah waah. I went to bed in a bad mood because I had only gotten a teeny bit of free time on Saturday.
    Then Sunday came. And guess what?? I had zero responsibilities because I had done all of my work the day before! I had literally no obligations! I got ready for church and walked to the bus with NO JACKET because it was almost 60 degrees at 9 in the morning. I felt gloriously unfettered! It's crazy how just the simple act of not having to bundle yourself up in a bulky coat can improve your mood. Church was good, as it always is. It's the one time a week (besides Powerhouse) when I really get to sing, which I love. After church I got lunch with Marina, and as we walked to get food, a guy passed by us with no shirt on. What a blessing.
    After lunch, Emily and Rachel were off somewhere hanging out, and Marina went to a meeting for her Cross Cultural trip this summer (she gets to go to Brazil, her home country, for the first time in years! I'm so excited for her!!), so I had the room all to myself. The blinds were up and the windows were open as wide as they would go. I had hours stretching in front of me with no schoolwork to do, so I broke out this Color-In folder my mom got me and just colored for over two hours while listening to Brant Hansen podcasts and laughing out loud to myself which probably freaked out everyone walking by outside (literally I can hear everything that goes on out there, and they can probably hear everything that goes on in here).
     Seriously though, sitting at my desk with the soft breeze and delicious fresh air and funny, thought-provoking podcasts filtering into my brain and my hands mindlessly coloring...it was genuinely soul refreshing. It was like God swooped down and said "See? This is why I gave you the Sabbath! It's supposed to be a gift, so you can replenish your soul." It was SO relaxing and SO enjoyable that I honestly could have cried, especially after the very sub-par week I had just endured. The day just put me into an amazing mood, and I'm excited to say that the mood persists even today. Hopefully it will carry on to tomorrow, and the rest of the week until I can refresh my soul again next weekend.
     I guess the moral of the story is that good weather = good mood, and the day of rest was probably my favorite thing that God created that first week, and I'm tired of not taking it seriously. Because when I finally did for once, I realized just how much of a gift it truly is. Rest is important ya'll!
     Oh! I almost forgot! The greatness of Sunday continued on into the evening! I FaceTimed my parents and finished FAFSA (sounds like a borefest, but really lifted a weight from my shoulders). Rachel and I went to Coffeehouse, where Emily came and joined us later, and it was my favorite Coffeehouse so far! I took an absurd amount of videos which sucked up all my phone storage, but I don't regret it one bit. There was Jonathan who played beautiful, swoon-worthy Spanish guitar, there was the student band Wild Card who played "Mr. Brightside", which is one of the songs that made me fall in love with music back in the day. There was The Soggy Lottie Lads who played an amazing, high energy bluegrass tune that made everyone want to get up and dance. It was just so awesome, I grinned from the first act of the night to the last, and went to bed happy.
     I hope your weekend was as refreshing and renewing as mine was, and if not, you've always got another crack at it in a few days!!

-VaughnDL