You know it's springtime in New England when you can smell the outside burn piles and see the sun shine after 6pm. It's a time to crack open the windows in the house and let the dusty air out. When the Sox seem to be on every night, and a cold beer is the perfect accompaniment to food on the grill.
At school you see it, too. The staff is out the door by 3pm, the students seem to glaze over when you remind them about MCAS tutoring and getting their physics homework in on time. They know what awaits them. A friend's car. Windows down. The music so loud that no one can hear the others talk, but nobody cares. Stopping for an iced coffee. Smelling the air for the first time in months.
It's hard to believe that this season of warm weather and flip flops is just as long as the other part of the year, the part with shovels and snow-chunked boots and hot cocoa in mugs. It feels like it just flies by. Like the rest of what's good.
So this year, I won't pine. I won't worry about summer and it going too fast. I won't worry about next year and the budget and school cuts. I'll be in the moment with my two peanutty buttons and my love and my cut lawn and my Red Sox.
