Most people abhor March. It’s not yet Spring, and many times the weather is still quite unsettled. But I find myself in awe of March. Think about what March stands for. It is the end of winter, bringing closure to the days of wintry gusts and blowing snow which many areas have grown weary of. In my part of the world, the daylight grows longer, the sunshine grows warmer and my mood grows more energetic. There begins a burning desire to organize, declutter and yes, I will say it, clean.
The month of March has traditionally signaled the beginning of my mother’s house-cleaning ritual. As a child, I watched with great amazement at the fervor she displayed for polishing, dusting or washing every knickknack, wall and piece of furniture in our home. Not a stitch was excluded. Every item was removed from the walls and with great care, meticulously cleaned and set aside. Walls were scrubbed until they shone. Every lick of furniture was moved, the upholstery brushed, beaten or vacuumed within an inch of its existence. Every bit of wood, no matter what it was attached to, was scrubbed with Murphy’s Oil Soap, allowed to dry, then polished until you could almost see your reflection in it.
After many years of viewing, and later participating in this annual ritual, I finally asked, “Why do you do this year after year? You clean and clean and it only gets dirty again!” My mother’s reply was as simple and understated as she was, “Preparation. You must always be prepared.” But prepared for what? For the dozen relatives who would gather around our dining room table in several weeks to celebrate Easter dinner together? For the upcoming weeks when more time would be spent on outdoor chores, such as planting the garden, tending to the flower beds and yes, even cutting the grass. Or was it something else?
As I myself have become a homeowner, I have come to realize that there never seems to be enough time to accomplish everything I expect to. I can make all the to-do lists I choose, but without preparation, nothing happens.
Just as a great chef will spend the time to meticulously prepare all the elements of a fine meal, you and I must take the time to prepare for the tasks we intend to complete – whatever they may be. A good carpenter follows the adage “measure twice and cut once.” An artist will sketch his vision before putting brush to canvas. An architect or an engineer will build a scale model before beginning to erect the real thing. Preparation is the key. A dear friend of mine called it “having all your ducks in a row” before beginning a task.
So, I beg you to rethink your views of the month of March. See it not as a miserable transition time, but as a period just made for preparation. A time for planning and arranging for the changes the following months will bring. After all, March is not just the name of a month, but it is also used to describe an operation of motion – to move in a precise forward action. To move out of the winter doldrums and into the warm advance of Spring, we must be prepared to MARCH.
Enjoy whatever preparations you feel led to undertake in the next weeks. Although March may seem like the end of a season, it actually is the period of preparation for the changes and new beginnings which are to come.
