A call for a spring of happiness

Now that spring has officially sprung, my chest feels a little lighter and I rest a little easier knowing that we’re almost through with another long winter. Though I’m a summer-season girl, seeing a lush green lawn and smelling fresh-blooming lilacs is a hard-to-beat feeling.

This year is different, though. With statewide flooding and millions of dollars in damages, I can’t help but feel a tinge of guilt when I get excited to see sprigs of green grass sprouting on lawns. We may have been hit with a nasty blizzard, but compared to our eastern neighbors we’ve fared pretty well. While we get to see our pastures turn with life, others see miles of ice chunks on broken ground.

There’s a saying that goes “you’re only as happy as your least happy child.” I’m not a mother, but I feel like my excitement for spring is stunted by my hurt for family and friends affected by the floods. Why do I get to enjoy the relief of spring when so many others don’t get that chance?

I’ve been struggling with these feelings since Storm Ulmer hit, but today I have resolved to turn them around. I recognize that I can empathize and help my fellow Nebraskans to the east, but I can also enjoy our favorable weather and the beauty that spring will bring. 

Emotions can have duality, and although we don’t always understand them, we can feel both sadness and happiness. It’s up to us to choose which we will feed into. 

Spring represents rebirth and the promise of a new, better day. Now more than ever Nebraskans need to hold tight to spring’s promise and keep our eyes forward. This will be a spring filled with growing pains, but we can make it a spring of happiness.