It’s Spring, so Stop and Smell the Roses - by Emily

        

           Ironically, the first day of spring this year and the start of my spring break coincided with a snowstorm that brought a foot of snow and cancelled classes.

            I never really liked spring. I treasure the four seasons that New England offers, but spring was always one I felt I could do without. The beginning of spring is always wet and soggy as the snow melts and the sun tries to peak through. You never really know what to expect when you step outside during spring until early June when summer starts to come. But spring is an important season nonetheless because it’s a transition period. In high school, spring was my busiest time of year and because of that I never really got the chance to appreciate spring, even with all it’s wavering weather and mysterious ways.

            We live in a fast paced society where everything and everyone is constantly on the go. I know in the past I've been guilty of letting this fast paced lifestyle force me into thinking we don’t need things like spring. Why can’t we just fast-forward after winter right to summer, so we can enjoy the warm weather? But we do need spring; it’s nature’s way of telling us to slow down and appreciate.

            In my philosophy class, we were asked to devote 45 minutes over our spring break to silent meditation. Though it seemed crazy and pointless at first, once I completed the exercise I realized why my professor gave us this assignment. He encouraged us to examine who we are outside of the pressures of society and while sitting in solitude. He offered us this quote that seemed to resonate strongly within me and opened my eyes to all I've been missing:

“We can busy ourselves so much with work, sports, social events, extracurricular activities, hobbies and movie going that we lose our souls. If we stay busy enough, we will never have to confront who we are in silence, solitude, and reflection.”

             I've always tried to fast forward through spring, and I blame the pressure of society to move fast and brush over the seemingly insignificant. But now I've realized the real reason why we need spring. Nature could easily switch from the cold dark days of winter to the warm sunny days of summer, but instead it chooses to take the time to move slowly and gradually. I think we could all be taught a lesson by spring, one that teaches us to slow down and appreciate all that we have in life. So take a moment today to stop and smell the roses of spring, and don’t let them and the many other quiet but meaningful things in our life go unnoticed.

Emily Thomas is a college freshman at Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts majoring in Chemistry and Secondary Education. Originally from Bridgewater, Massachusetts, Emily was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of Massachusetts for 2012. Learn more about Emily here!

A Lesson Learned on Spring Break - by Marin

      Spring Break. I believe those are the two most beautiful words every college student longs to say! I could not wait to be with my family, sun in my hair, and away from the cold Pittsburgh weather! As I was packing and getting ready to leave school, I was so excited because for a whole week, I wouldn't be bombarded with homework or stress. I would be able to relax, and live a carefree lifestyle for seven days. However, when I finally arrived at my destination with my family, I felt I was missing something. Did I pack everything I needed? Did I have homework that was due after break? I couldn't put my mind into focus! That is, until I came across someone. His name is Mr. Zach, and after a chance meeting with him, he taught me something very important that I thought I should share with you all.

      Zach is pretty shaggy. In fact, when I first met him I could hardly see his eyes! He didn’t hesitate to introduce himself when he saw me, and had a big smile on his face as he came to greet me. If you can’t already figure it out, I’m going to let you in on a little secret—Zach is a dog! As I leaned over to pet him, his owner stepped outside and introduced Zach to me. He told me, “Zach loves to play, and just relax in the grass out in the sunshine.” He is also “very friendly” with new people (that I had already figured out!) I spent a couple of minutes just petting Zach and laughing as he ran around. As I said goodbye to Zach, he tried to walk with me back to my family, but he only made it as far as the leash tied around the tree would let him. I turned around one last time to wave goodbye to the owner, and when I did, I saw Zach peacefully lying in the grass. He looked completely content lying in the rays of the sun, his eyes closed with his tongue sticking out. And that’s when it hit me.

      I hadn't been worrying about whether I had packed the right things or homework; I was worrying because I felt like I had to do something. I hadn't taken the time to just stop, breathe and relax. To be like Zach in the grass, completely content with doing nothing and being ‘OK’ with it. After my chance meeting with Zach, I too went outside, and laid in the sunshine doing and thinking about absolutely nothing. It was so nice to not worry about anything and to simply be in the moment. 

      So I’d like to give a big ‘thank you’ to Zach. He’ll never know how much he has affected me. However, the least I can do for him is to remember how content he looked lying in the green grass and of course giving him lots of love every time I see him the rest of my Spring Break!

Marin Helppie-Schmieder is a college freshman at the Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania majoring in Modern Dance. Originally from Carrollton, Texas, Marin was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of Texas for 2012. Learn more about Marin here!