4 Journal Prompts With Which To Ease Into Spring

Today at 12 noon I walked with my three-year-old and my husband to sit on the banks of the river and throw rocks. If winter sun is like a light, transparent jacket on my skin, spring sun is made of a thicker fabric. Cotton. Percale. Something with welcomed weight. We stayed beneath that sun for two hours. Five hours later, I sit beneath a sad sky. The rain beats hard on my studio roof. The flowers in the planter outside soak it up. And I marvel at the fact that just a moment ago, the day wore a completely different expression. Some days, my internal world is not much different. There are some mornings when I wake to grief and old pain. And when afternoon light meets me, I feel hope and resonate joy. Learning to move with the weather and hold space for two opposing feelings at once is tedious. But emotions go together. Underneath my rage is sorrow. Underneath joy is contentment. Anxiety and excitement dance in stride. Rarely do I meet an emotion that hasn’t shown up with another one in tow. Spring reminds us that duality is a part of life. The tree outside is still budding while the ground freezes and the trees stand naked. And everything is exactly how it’s meant to be. Here are four prompts to turn to when our internal landscape is in transition. —Devon Loftus

Allow soft things to feel soft: What about this day feels inviting, welcoming, kind, warm and easeful? How can I celebrate this?

Allow prickly things to feel prickly: What about this day feels jagged, hard, stuck or uncomfortable? How can I acknowledge this is here without attaching judgment?

Remember that both truths exist: How can I celebrate the sun while acknowledging the rain? Can I give both sides of myself attention without making one ‘good’ and one ‘bad’?

Remember to let weather be weather: How can I release the story behind my feelings and let them ebb and flow how they need to?

Devon Loftus is a storyteller, business owner and the author of Dwell: A Journal for Naming, Processing, and Embracing Your Emotions. Loftus recently became a certified End-of-Life doula and Positive Psychology Practitioner, and enjoys sharing her writing in her newsletter and on social media.