They say it’s your birthday!

June 2nd passed quietly into the night and we completely forgot to pop the cork on a bottle of champagne to celebrate our birthday!  The Winter Park Times is now officially a year older and maybe a touch wiser so I thought I would layout a couple of pearls from the jewelry box to gaze upon.

Spring is a time for renewal, growth and expansion; we feel it in the air.  Even though we can do this at any time during the year, it feels just right to do it each Spring.  We seem to have that extra energy and focus to get physically active, take action, and create change.   

This is the time of year to envision endless possibilities, and to use our creative gifts to reach new levels of achievement, wellness, happiness and success.

It is the perfect time to let go of the old and make room for the new.  This can apply to traditional spring cleaning but most importantly we need to apply it to our lives and the lives of our families and friends.  It is a time to let go of old grudges, resentments and anger, the emotions that poison the soul and those around you.

For example, the infamous Salem witch trials began during the spring of 1692, after a group of young girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts, claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused several local women of witchcraft. As a wave of hysteria spread throughout colonial Massachusetts, a special court hanged the first convicted witch, Bridget Bishop, in June. Eighteen others followed Bishop to the gallows while some 150 more men, women and children were accused over the next several months.  By September 1692, the hysteria had begun to abate and public opinion turned against the trials. The Court later annulled guilty verdicts against accused witches and granted indemnities to their families. Bitterness lingered in the community, and the painful legacy of the Salem witch trials has endured for centuries.

When we let innuendo and emotion drive our thoughts we lose focus on truth and become part of a mob looking for conviction without cause. If you have been on the wrong side of this group, you feel as if you were propelled back in time.

At the Middle Park High School 2018 graduation celebration this year, MPHS English Teacher, John Reynolds gave a thought provoking keynote address that spoke about life’s social journey.  The message was based around the ultimate life lesson of social behavior. Reynolds said, “Conflict is a real part of everyday life”. Wisdom comes from learning to deal with each situation open and honestly and finding a healthy outcome through communication.

So as we move into summer and onward in our journey toward the next big thing in our path, look for truth and understanding. Life is a record of your social being, so open your mind and allow your spirit to soar by cleansing the soul of grudges and animosity.  It can be almost as rewarding as a springtime garage sale.