Spring Briefly

Spring came to Weymouth on Friday. It was early and is gone again already. Spring won’t be here to stay for at least another month. Still, Friday was sunny and warm and there had been enough nearly warm days in the previous two weeks to melt the snow from the sidewalks between home and Maura’s school. So for the first time since early December I walked to the school at the end of the day and Maura and I walked home.

I’d wanted to walk for weeks. I’d watched the ice on the sidewalks thin and melt away and the mountains of snow at each intersection and parking lot diminish to hills and then to nothing. When the sidewalks were finally clear enough to negotiate I came down with a terrible cold that kept me inside for four days, too sick to consider a three mile walk in the chilly, if not subfreezing air.

It was luck that the warmest day last week fell when I felt well enough to walk and cooped-up enough that I couldn’t stay in the house any longer, despite a stiff breeze that threatened to steal my hat. It was good to stretch my legs and good to spend some time with my daughter. Maura held my hand on the walk, though she doesn’t have to except at major street crossings. She doesn’t like wind and it gusted strongly enough Friday that I joked about tying a string to her and flying her like a kite. She’s getting so grown up now. She laughed at the joke. Last year she would have taken me seriously.

I’ve really missed the walking since winter started. I won't walk often for a while. Until spring is really here most days it will be uncomfortably cold and sometimes it will be icy. Still, Friday was a taste of what’s to come. I can only look forward to many pleasant walks to school and back, one way alone, the other with the best of company.