In case your seasonal allergies haven’t informed you yet, we are 17 days away from Spring. Instead of thinking of it like “biding my time,” which I absolutely do, I’m trying to find some enjoyment in the month. There’s excitement in looking over the seed catalog I was sent and planning my garden, and the daylight is stretching a bit later so I can walk my dog closer to dinner time. It reminds me a bit of the time between scans and treatment, to be honest. How can I make joy, even here? How can I make this fun, even now? I hope the following ideas give you some motivation to do the same.

There’s a phrase some friends and I use that I am positive is not unique to us: laugh to keep from crying. Ever made what you thought was a joke, and other people sort of cringe? That’s the mode I’m talking about. A pinch of dark humor, or a commitment to nonsensical humor, just because laughing beats… Well, whatever else I’m also feeling. I’m bringing you sunny, not heartfelt, suggestions this weekend. I am hoping they induce that laughter if you’ve had some nonsense going on lately (and honestly, who hasn’t?)

I’ve been examining a lot of my thoughts and behaviors lately, inspired by books and podcasts I’ve spent time consuming. The biggest question that I’ve come up with is: who made this rule for you? Why do you follow it? Gosh. What a big question. And the answer is equally big: I don’t know, it’s just something I thought adults did. I just thought that adults meal planned. I assumed adults didn’t rest unless everything on their to do list was done. I grew up seeing homes that looked a certain way, and though that’s not something I care about particularly, it’s what I did.

Is it February yet? My two least favorite months, in order, are 1. April and 2. The second half of January. Maybe it’s the rain talking for me, or the fact that I don’t want to take down my Christmas tree because I’m feeling especially cottage core at the moment, but I’m feeling lost in time. Never fear: I found a few ways this week to mark, nay, enjoy the passage of time.