SPRINGTIME

I was standing in the middle of the dining room looking around when my son Alex came in. “What are you doing?” he asked.

I sighed. “Thinking about spring cleaning this weekend.”

“Oh, that’s right.” Alex couldn’t help but smile. “It’s the first day of spring this weekend.”

I sighed again. “Yeah.”

Alex looked confused. “You’ve been saying you can’t wait until spring comes ever since you took the Christmas tree down! What’s the matter?”

“Oh, I’ve been looking forward to spring. Just not the spring cleaning.” I could see a thin layer of dust on the side table.

“You clean all the time.” Alex said. “In fact, weren’t you the one who used to use disinfectant wipes on the groceries when you’d bring them in from the store?”

“Those sure were crazy times.” I shook my head. “But that was Covid cleaning. This is totally different. It’s spring cleaning.”

I opened one of the dining room windows and pointed to the windowsill. “See how dirty this is?” There was a chilly breeze coming in but it was a beautiful sunny day.

Alex came over and looked. “That’s pretty dirty.”

“That’s from months of winter storms.” I nodded my head. “Now multiply that with how many windows we have.”

I closed the window, sat down at the dining room table and began rubbing my forehead. “Then it’s closets and kitchen draws and cabinets! Not to mention all the baseboard and doors that need to be wiped down.” I leaned my head back. “All I’ve been doing this past year is clean. I just don’t want to clean anymore. Especially not spring cleaning!”

Alex shrugged his shoulders. “Okay, so don’t.”

I looked at him, I couldn’t hide my surprise. “Really?”

“Sure. Why not?”

I thought about it for a moment. “You know, you’re right! Why not?” I got up and took the kettle from the stove and began to fill it up at the sink. “I’m going to make a nice warm cup of tea, get a cozy sweater on and go sit outside in the sun! That’s how I’m going to celebrate spring!”

Alex came over and patted my on the shoulder. “See. Now don’t you feel better?”

“I really do!” I smiled as I put the kettle on the stove and turned it on.

My husband Steven came into the kitchen. “Isn’t it a beautiful day out?” he asked.

“It sure is!” I went to get a cup of of the cabinet.

He went over to the dining room window and began to open it up. “Why don’t we get some fresh air in here.”

“NO!” I cried. “DON’T!”

Steven stopped midway of opening it. “What? What’s wrong?”

“I’m trying to enjoy the first day of spring!” I said as put my cup down on the counter and went over to the window where I reached over and slowly closed it.

Steven looked over at Alex a confused look on his face.

“If you open the window Mom’s going to see the dirty windowsill and she’s not in the mood for spring cleaning right now.”

“Exactly.” I went over and got a tea bag out of the canister. “I don’t want to feel guilty about not doing any spring cleaning today and the only way that’s going to happen is if we keep the windows closed.”

I turned around and looked at Steven who was now holding his hands up in front of his chest. “Closed windows it is.”

I smiled as I dropped my tea bag in my mug. “Thank you!”