I’ve always loved the month of May, because, well, for starters my birthday falls in this month. When Greg and I sat down to choose a wedding date, I immediately wanted to get married in May. At the risk of being cheesy, I think the word *May* alone sounds so happy, so full of springtime, hope, the beginning of summer…

Add Mother’s Day to those celebrations, and it all adds up to a pretty good month for me.

In the past couple years, this month has also become a time of reflection for me. After I hit 50 and began realizing how  quickly the years go by, I didn’t want to miss out on those moments, those lessons, the growth God has for me.

So today, as I look forward to all three of my May celebrations coming up, I realize there are six things I’ve been learning this spring.

1. I’m so much like my mother it’s almost scary.
2. There’s good therapy in sitting still and watching a tortoise (or whatever creature God places within your vision).
3. You don’t have to feel well (or *normal*) to have a good day.
4. Short conversations with those you love trump waiting and waiting until you have time for a long one.
5. When I eat real, unprocessed food, I feel like a new person.
6. Pockets of time without my phone or social media are good for the soul. Notice I said “pockets” of time. Some of you are better about this than me, but I love staying connected, and social media is a big part of my work, so it’s easy to keep my phone in my back pocket or sitting next to me 24/7. I’m learning to walk away from it.