Walking outside my dorm this morning was not a pleasant experience. The sky was gray and dreary, it was raining just enough to annoy me, and the ground was covered in excess rainwater and mud. I was in a foul mood anyway, lackinga good night’s sleep, and the weather only worsened my attitude. Spring was supposed to be beautiful, full of flowers and sunshine, not dreary and depressing.

As soon as my lecture was over and I stepped outside, I felt an immediate lift in my spirits and energy. After only an hour, the sun had come out, and life was beginning to appear on South Quad. I took off my raincoat, since it was too warm to keep it on, and watched a pair of squirrels chase each other across the quad. Some of the puddles had begun to dry up, and I began to notice how green everything was. Daffodils were blooming and leaves were beginning to reappear on previously bare trees. I noticed how fresh everything smelled as well; the air was clean and crisp, with not a hint of its previous dampness.

Although its cliché, spring truly is a new beginning as well as a letting go of the old. New life begins to creep into existence in the most beautiful of ways and the rain, although aggravating, washes away the traces of winter and allows the world to blossom. The dreariness of the morning ebbs away into the sunshine of the afternoon. We are reminded that life comes from what was previously dead and beauty can bloom despite the coldness of winter.

Despite the rain, spring is a time of energy and vitality. Spring is the season to start anew and look with anticipation towards the future. The season is not simply the feeling of soggy ground and heavy air, but rather the sensation of both an ending and a beginning. The snow has melted and the cold has departed. Everything seems new and fresh, and perhaps, in a new world such as this, we as humans are able cling to the hope and joy that a fresh start brings.