Rethinking Green: A Perspective

‘I cannot meet the spring unmoved –’[1] wrote poet Emily Dickinson (1830–1886). She called spring an ‘Experiment in Green.’[2]

We agree! It’s impossible not to feel uplifted as this season arrives, and so we’ve thought about ten things we love most about spring. Together they considerably lighten the load of spring-cleaning:

Sunshine: the low winter angles of sunrise and sunset are opening out into brighter days and warmer nights. There’s less need for artificial light.

Fresh air: what’s better than outdoor air flowing through windows and doors as you do the cleaning? Especially when it’s seasoned by a light spring shower, or the smell of new grass.

Exercise: cleaning is such an excellent workout! And so much more fun to do on a sunny spring morning.

Anticipation of opening up your home: we tend to hibernate in the winter months, but as the days get longer and warmer, we feel more like socialising. Readying your home to entertain friends and family is a precious ritual.

Sense of achievement: it takes commitment to carry out a thorough spring-clean. But what a sense of achievement when it’s done! There’s nothing like a home that’s clean and smells naturally beautiful to encourage a sense of wellbeing and pride.

Discovering treasures: sometimes a spring-clean can turn up objects or memories that you thought were long lost. Even when this is a bitter-sweet experience, it’s always one to learn and grow from.

Renewal: as the first season in the Western calendar, spring brings the gift of renewal. We want to let go of old things and attitudes that no longer serve us, and bring in the new. Cleaning and de-cluttering is an enactment of this symbolic urge.

Mindfulness: performing even the most mundane chores can become a meditative practice, if you can allow yourself truly to focus. It’s worth taking the time and applying presence of mind to do small things well.

Creativity: it’s hardwired into all of us. Your home is an expression of yourself, and spring-cleaning may open up opportunities to reorganise furniture or experiment with new colours. Embrace your creativity.

Gratitude: spring-cleaning brings you up close and personal with your home. This intimate engagement with how you live and the things you choose to live with is not only an invitation to let go of stuff, but also a moment to savour and give thanks for all the things you have, spiritually as much as materially.

[1] Poem #1051

[2] Poem #1333