There’s a cherry blossom tree that decorates the front yard of my house. It magically sprouts pink flowers every spring. I take it as an annual reminder that my favorite season has decided to join us — humanity feels lighter in the springtime. Unfortunately, my cherry blossom tree only stays in bloom for a few weeks. Its beautiful, dainty flowers fall to the ground one by one as if they’re dancing, partnered with the wind. Before I even have a chance to take it all in, there are more pink petals on the ground than on the tree. It dresses itself, instead, with dark brown leaves.
Spring feels like the top of the hill for most people — you spend the cold darkness of fall and winter trudging up an endless hill, until you reach the top. The sun beats down on you and the air is crisp; you close your eyes and take a deep breath. It’s finally spring.
I must confess that it’s harder to appreciate the change in season when you’re trapped inside and glued to a screen. In recent times, I mainly partake to witness my cherry blossom tree from the inside of my home. I take quick glances through the window, or through the glass door, to observe its current state. I do go outside, yet there’s not much time to spare before productivity sweeps me away and props me up like I was before — right in front of my computer screen. I suppose that I have online schooling to blame for my lack of outdoor exploration this semester. Or, I have online schooling to thank. After all, I’d most likely be living away from home if this were a normal semester, and I wouldn’t see my tree at all.
Despite the state of the world still being quite irregular, I still notice that the springtime contains its usual power to brighten people’s spirits. Every conversation I’ve had with someone for the past few weeks always starts with the statement “the weather is so nice today!” falling out of either my mouth or theirs. And when the weather is gloomy, there’s always a mention of how “gross” it is outside, and how we just can’t wait for the weather to be nice again.
I do believe that it’s easier to feel happy during the springtime — when the sun smiles at us, our souls feel compelled to smile back. Our minds are refreshed by the brightness of the sky, and the tender glow of the earth. Like my cherry blossom tree, we’re all moved to transform into the most exuberant version of ourselves.
Yet nothing stays perfect forever — flowers trickle out of bloom, birds run out of songs to sing, and the sun disappears slowly from the sky. It’s the cycle of life. It’s not natural for spring to last all year long, but the bright side is that it will always come again.
The beauty of humanity is that exuberancy lies within our spirit, which is the one thing that can last forever.
Mind of a Freshman is an Opinion column written by a current first-year Stevens student to discuss life experiences during their time at Stevens, and other related subject matter.
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