Drooping Spirits

I think the term in French is l’esprit tombant.  Or maybe l’esprit triste. Or l'esprit embrouillé. Whatever it’s called, my spirits have been drooping these last few days.

It helps to know that many other people are affected with this condition as we enter the second year of restrictions. Sue Horner, an Ontario-based freelance writer who has a website called Get It Write, offers some useful suggestions that propose turning to creativity as a way of lifting one’s spirits.

https://getitwrite.ca/2020/10/02/spark-creativity/

I’ve tried all of her tips and they do help. It also helps to have a French term for these feelings. I like the French l’esprit for spirit, and I especially like the expression l’esprit d’escalier, the spirit of the staircase, which refers to the things you think you might have said once you are already on the way out and it’s too late. I know that as soon as I send this post out I will think of something clever that I should have said.

For the moment, though, it's enough to note that time passes, and my mood today is now more positive. Many people I love will receive vaccines this month. I will probably get one sometime in April. Things are looking up.

And, anyway, I can shame myself into lifting my own spirits by reading Lucinda Matlock’s sharp words in Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology:

What is this I hear of sorrow and weariness,

Anger, discontent and drooping hopes?

Degenerate sons and daughters,

Life is too strong for you —

It takes life to love Life.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45935/lucinda-matlock

The days are getting warmer and longer. The trees are showing that shimmer of green that lifts the spirit and brings new hope. And Lucinda Matlock always spurs me to press on.

However, I’ve just looked at my website and find that, since March of last year, I've sketched and written 52 posts on my blog, most of them referring to the pandemic.. It's now time to step back -- maybe step outdoors as well -- and reduce my blogging to every second week. Later, I might reduce it to once a month.

There’s lots to do, but only so much to say about it all. And maybe I won’t be needing blog therapy as much as I did over the past year.

Onwards! Happy March, dear blog-readers!

 REMINDER: People have told me they’ve sent replies to the Carol Matthews These Days emails but, for some reason, I don’t get them. They disappear into the stratosphere. If you would like to comment or reply, please email me directly: wayword@telus.net.