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In The Spring, A Midlife Womans Thoughts Turn To...

© Deb Jones

Ah, the fresh breezes of spring! It's the time of year when the green of the grasses and trees make the sky seem bluer, and every wind blows something new and untested our way. Everything seems possible again, including fitting into last year's bathing suit and washing the windows on the outside.

Spring fever strikes in the same manner and time frame as it did in younger years; it is the way that it manifests itself that reminds me that the dew on the rose isn't quite as fresh as it once was.

I do still love to roll down the car window and feel the air on my face, my hair blowing in the breeze, knotting and tangling hopelessly. I fish out my sandals nearly as soon as the last snow melts, and it feels decadently bohemian to expose my toes and experience the freedom of shoelessness. This year, though, I also notice that some definite work must be done on these heels to rid them of the winter build-up of skin. Funny, I don't remember having to do that before. Freedom and lightheartedness are the business of spring--right after the bills are paid, groceries gotten, and prom promises are extracted. I can enjoy my moments on the porch, drinking in the sunlight and extended hours of day as soon as the laundry, dinner, and dishes are done. If I am feeling extra frivolous, I may let the dishes go until after my porch time, and hope no one notices.

I can remember when planning my summer was the first order of business when spring had officially arrived. It was important to know when friends would be gone for vacation, what beaches the in-crowd went to, which hotspots for teens were the places to be seen.

I still think about all of this, of course. My friends and I keep tabs on each other's teens during the summer, and vacation schedules are compared and discussed, a somewhat more regimented approach, but necessary for everyone's peace of mind. And yes, I still want to know what beaches and hotspots are popular, and why, so I have an idea where to round up these teens if curfew is missed or chores need to be done.

I think about playing hooky, but the consequences are more dire than skipping a day of school--or maybe not. Maybe it is because I am just a tad more responsible now at this age, and the guilt of missing work for spring fever would outweigh my joy of the day. Ah, something has happened to me over the years, after all.

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