Spring is right in front of us, and it inspires us to celebrate. But sometimes it feels like celebration isn’t appropriate when there is so much hurt going on in our world. People are fragile right now. Many of us are still waiting for the cold of winter to pass, even with the calendar telling us it’s almost spring. And yet, it really is almost spring! And even with the difficulties and injustices in our world, we can celebrate. In fact, it’s really important to celebrate light when the world is dark.
It really is fun to celebrate the beginning of spring. Little ones especially love a celebration of any kind. And springtime celebrations are so full of light and color and symbols of new life. Springtime naturally brings us a smile.
Then there’s the backdrop of this year. Two years of pandemic, ongoing political unrest and conflict, rising prices, and now a war with the potential to get really big. This dark backdrop stifles celebration. We can even feel like it’s inappropriate to celebrate when so many are suffering.
The dark things love to take over the light and to snuff it out. And so, one of the best ways to fight darkness is to spread the light. It’s so important to keep hold of the good things, even the normal things, and find ways to enjoy them even when there is so much darkness. To celebrate the light when the world is dark is to wage war against that darkness.
Light in the dark
When the dark takes over the good things in our lives, such as family, friendship, joy, or even our possessions, it takes away hope too. Once there is no hope, it is easy for the difficult and unjust things in our world to take over, to win. And so even when we don’t have another way to fight, we can look for ways to keep hope alive.
This is why we have beautiful stories of people gathering to sing during wartime. There are stories about book readings in the bomb shelters in London during World War II. We see old photos of soldiers at dances. There is the Christmas Truce of 1914 when both sides stopped fighting and celebrated together.
Celebrate Spring
Celebrating spring is the bright spot in front of us now. And it is worth celebrating. So what are your favorite spring activities? Do you have any traditions that your family enjoys?
In the next few days, we can plan a fun meal, or come up with some fun games to play. We can also learn the ASL sign for spring.
If your children love crafts, it’s a great time to dye eggs or make some pipe cleaner flowers. You could build animals out of popsicle sticks or make rainbows out of all kinds of things.
Children might enjoy arranging flowers for your home, or at least choosing some to bring home.
Perhaps you’d like to have a treasure hunt for spring items like flowers, chicks, bunnies, sunshine, and some brightly colored treats.
If you love the outdoors, it’s a wonderful time to take your kids on a spring hike.
And as you plan your celebration, you can use the free Signing Time Dictionary to learn the signs for flower, grow, hike, or any of the colors or animals you might be using.
See what you can come up with to celebrate spring with your family. It’s a perfect way to celebrate light when the world is dark.
And don’t forget to check out My Signing Time. You can start with the free to watch section to help you see if a My Signing Time digital subscription is right for your family. Try it out with a 14-day free trial right here.