Hey everyone, my name is Paul Sawka. I am the Awareness Leader for CDSS. I have been thinking and writing a lot about feelings and changes lately. I really wanted to share these thoughts with the world, so I would like to invite you to read my new blog series about my own emotions and changes as I get older.
Changes: Exploring Emotions and Aging
Shaking Off the Winter Blues
Spring really does make everyone so very happy because we don’t like winter anymore. It really makes us feel good to have spring here at last. Where I am, in Calgary, the roads are better now but we had a very light snow here not long ago. That really should be the last of the snow! I don’t like the cold.
I will be preparing for spring by spring cleaning. Spring is really about being refreshed and being able to start new again in our own homes. Some activities to feel refreshed that I do are helping my mom with her baking and doing household chores like making my bed, cleaning the bathrooms, vacuuming, and dusting.
I love the spring season because it really makes me happy not to worry about the winter anymore. It also makes me excited because I know that my education will be starting soon on May 1st. I like going to my classes at Mount Royal University. This year I am taking a music course on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. I sing and I like lots of different types of music like musicals, Disney songs, and songs from the 50’s and 70’s.
My Special Olympic Curling is all done for good, but I happen to know that my next sport Special Olympic Baseball will be starting April 21 – very soon! But not quite yet, so some of the other activities that I will be doing for the spring is my work at Friends Café and my job at CDSS will always be with me.
When the weather is nicer, I would like to be able to walk and dance over to Friends Cafe just like always on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. I like to do other things as well like going to hang out with my friends and seeing what they are doing for spring. I want to shake off the winter blues by being with my friends and by having some real springtime fun like going to the library or to a movie or out to lunch. I would also like to go out for dinner with my girlfriend Kelsey and I might want to have some ice cream or have fun at the Calgary Zoo on a special date.
I know about spring renewal and taking good care of yourself. It is so very important to be getting enough exercise and really getting back outside and doing things that make us happy. I have a tricycle and I ride it with my parents. Some of my favourite things to do in the spring are playing tennis and golf and going to the YMCA. My parents do a workout class there and I swim. I’m good at rock climbing and road hockey, but I’m not much of a runner. I will not be doing any marathons or canoeing at all because it might tip over and I would be very wet!
My Mom loves to plant all season long, she is a very good gardener and I like to garden and spend time with her always. I would like to help my mom out with the garden pots at their new house this year.
Spring is a very busy time of year for me and my parents. It reminds us to recharge ourselves and to be very grateful for all the wonderful things that we have in our lives.
