My Happy Time of the Year by Margaret Hart

There are 21 days until the first day of spring, on March 20th—not that I’m counting! After having been sick for nearly two weeks with one of the worst upper respiratory infections in recent years, I am SO ready for warmer weather, sunshine, birds chirping outside my office window, leafed-out trees, and flowers with bees buzzing all around. Sounds nice, doesn’t it?

This season’s upper respiratory infection, or URI, as the doctor’s say, was nasty. First came the headaches and congestion, where my head felt like a brick and I couldn’t breathe for several days. Then came the non-stop running and blowing of my nose, and that wasn’t pretty. The next stage was the cough, and I knew where that was going: right to my chest, where it often results in Bronchitis. After the first few days of the URI, I felt so awful, and so achy, that I went to my doctor just to rule out the Flu. I didn’t have a fever, but I was alternately hot and cold, and so exhausted I stayed in bed for three days. I missed my blog and got delayed on other projects. I was so annoyed.

Now that I’m on the mend, and the sun has started shining here on the east coast, I can’t stop thinking about spring and summer—two of my favorite times of the year. I’m also in a summer frame of mind because I’m working on a children’s auction at my son’s school, putting together a “summer fun” basket filled with kites, jump ropes, bubbles, water balloons, chalk, Frisbee’s, beach buckets, a snow cone machine, and more. All things spring and summer just make me happy.

Speaking of happy, I am thrilled to report that my new weight loss plan is working. A few blogs ago I mentioned that I was working with a nutritionist. I lost nine pounds in the first month, saw an increase in my energy level, and started sleeping better. I feel like I have better posture, and walk with my head held high and my eyes looking forward. As goofy as this may sound, I feel like I have a spring in my step.

After years of  trying various diets to drop some pounds, I think I’ve finally found what is going to work for me for the long term. I discovered some things about how my body works, and I’m still learning. And for me, it’s not just about losing weight. I’m looking at my whole self: nutrition, exercise, sleep, energy level, attitude and outlook. In many ways, I feel I am getting back to my roots. I was very healthy growing up. I was active and I ate well. My father’s vegetable garden and apple trees were the envy of the neighbors. We always had fresh foods on our dinner table, and rarely did my mother cook or serve anything that came out of a box.

The stars seem to be aligning for me, and while I can’t say for sure, it might have something to do with the time of the year. Spring makes me feel hopeful and gives me a renewed sense of purpose and drive. Maybe we are genetically predisposed to love this time of the year. After all, spring is an awakening. A time for fresh starts and new beginnings. For me, this time of year is refreshing and motivating, and just makes me happy.

Tags: blog, diet, exercise, happy time of the year, healthy eating, healthy living, Margaret Hart, motivating, nutritionist, sleep, Spring, summer, Upper Respiratory Infection, wellness