The Reset

There’s something about this time of year that feels like a gentle reset. Not a big, dramatic change everything moment, just a quiet shift.

The snow is finally gone, the air softens, the days stretch a little longer, and somehow it feels like we can breathe a bit deeper again. I find myself noticing the small things more - the birds coming back, the sound of life picking up again, little signs that everything is slowly waking up. And every year, it reminds me of something we don’t always give ourselves permission to do: Slow down.

Spring is also a great season for clearing things out - both around the house and in our own thinking. Letting go of old patterns or negative thoughts makes room for something new and more life-affirming. It’s like planting a garden: you choose what you want to grow, then give it the care and attention it needs.

Because if we’re being honest, life fills up fast. Without even trying, our days and evenings get spoken for. One commitment leads to another, and before we know it, we’re running more than we’re actually living. I don’t mind it. I really don’t. I enjoy being there, being involved, watching my daughter do her thing. Those moments matter. But lately, I’ve been feeling it and I think she has too.

So, this year, we made a small but meaningful change. Instead of signing her up for both soccer and softball like we have in the past, I gave her a choice. We talked it through; what it would look like, how busy it can get, how having even one extra evening at home can make a difference. Not just for me, but for her too. I wanted her to understand the why, not just the decision. And then I let her choose. She picked softball. And what surprised me most? She didn’t hesitate. She didn’t struggle with letting the other one go. No back-and-forth, no disappointment, just a simple, Okay.

Maybe she’s feeling it too. That need for a little more space. A little less rushing. A little more time to just be. Because even the good things - especially the good things - can become too much when there’s no room in between. With summer coming, it feels like the right time for a reset. Not just in our schedules, but in our pace. A chance for all of us to cut back a bit. To leave some evenings open. To sit outside without watching the clock. To have unplanned time that doesn’t need to lead anywhere. To rest.

We don’t always realize how much we need that until we actually allow it. And just like the season shifting around us, I think we’re meant to shift a little too. To take a look at what we’re carrying - our schedules, our thoughts, the constant pull of everything happening in the world and in our own communities and ask ourselves - is all of this ours to hold right now?

I know for me, I can get pulled in. I care deeply about what’s happening around me, and sometimes I carry it a little too closely. It can become all-consuming without me even realizing it. And that’s usually my cue. Not to stop caring but to step back. To create a little space again. Because when everything is full, our minds, our schedules, our energy, there’s no room left for anything to grow. Spring reminds us to clear some of that out. Not all at once. Not perfectly. Just gently.

Let go of a little here. Make room there. Even something as simple as one less evening out can shift the whole feel of a week. It gives us room to reset. To recharge. To come back to ourselves a bit. And from that place, things grow differently. Calmer. Stronger. More sustainable.

So maybe this season isn’t about doing more.  Maybe it’s about choosing a little less - on purpose.

And trusting that what we keep, the time, the energy, the moments we protect, will be the things that truly bloom.

I hope you’ll take some time this spring to notice what areas of your life need a little care and attention, and think about what kind of growth you’d like to see in the months ahead.