On March 20, 2023 at approximately 2:24pm, the Spring Equinox marked the new year based on the solar calendar, celebrated by many traditions, including Persians. On this day, when the sun’s rays shine onto the equator while the Earth sits with its axis tilted neither toward nor away from the sun, the first day of spring is announced. People celebrate their new year at this particular time each year due to the Spring season being a time of rebirth, renewal and regrowth.
Dialectics remind us that change is the only constant, and spring models change for us in nature: blossoms and greens of every shade, temperatures rising, and bumblebees emerging from solo hibernation. It is also great to notice radical acceptance in action–the blossoms, the trees, and the rest of the wild radically embrace this change. Yet, it’s so hard for us to accept change and we strive to keep our balance in the face of the slightest shift. For instance, California has seen the most rain this year. According to the California Department of Water Resources, dry conditions have had severe impacts leading to droughts from 1987 all the way to the past few years (2023). This year, heavy rainfall neared record highs with floods impacting many parts of California. Impact of this heavy rainfall has led to the most beautiful spring California has seen in a really long time.
Yet, every time we wake up to gray clouds, we ask: “It’s raining again? What is wrong with the weather?” And just like that, our whole day passes us by with an extra gray cloud on top of our heads worse than the gray clouds in the sky. And we wonder why we suffer. We treat the weather changes like we treat everything else in our life.
Maybe this year, we can learn from nature.
Written By: Meela Salamat, Psy.D.
Photo Credit: Anita Austvika on Unsplash
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