Subscribe to this blog 
I’m feeling the renewal of spring
April 9th, 2010 by Mike Knutson
(Note: It’s Friday, which means this post is a part of our “I Feel Fridays” project. Our goal is to share stories from the past week that generated an emotional response. We encourage readers to respond to the post or to share something from their lives in the past week. To learn more about “I Feel Fridays,” check out this post - and then tell us what you’re feeling.)
Spring has arrived in the northern Midwest, and I feel energized. I also feel lucky to be able to celebrate holidays with family.
These feelings emerged last Sunday – Easter Sunday — when in-between church and my parents’ arrival for dinner, I grabbed a book, snuck down to the lake, and basked in the warmth of the spring sun with some light reading. Sure, the temps were only in the upper 50′s, but it renewed me. This short hiatus also reminded me of the Easter tradition Jodi and I initiated while living in South Carolina, some years ago.
Easter in South Carolina
With no family around for Easter, our tradition involved picking up a bucket of Church’s chicken on our way home from Easter services, donning our swimsuits, and heading to the beach just 20 minutes away. We thought our picnic and beach excursion made us pretty cool. We were young, footloose, and living a dream. But even then, I think we knew this youthful “coolness” could not compete with the void created by missing family.
Three years in South Carolina were fun, but it never felt like home. I’m glad we experienced this time away because it causes me to appreciate South Dakota even more.
Should I go or should I stay?
What’s better? Living your whole life in the place that’s home or moving away for awhile so that you recognize what home has to offer? The answer is probably unique to each individual.
I also often wonder if I neglect telling others enough about why I chose to live in South Dakota. It’s definitely not as “hip” as living in tourist-trendy South Carolina, nor can I enjoy a spring day in the Atlantic.
But I’ve learned that I don’t want to live without family and the variety South Dakota’s seasons offer. Spring means renewal, summer is outdoor recreation, fall (my favorite season) brings crispness, and winter connects friends, indoor time, and togetherness. There’s a beauty in each.
In short, the variety of these seasons, along with the closeness of family (and friends), are the reasons I call this place home.
Why do you call your place (wherever you live) home?
Tags: I feel Friday, South Carolina, South Dakota
Posted in Rural | Comments (
4 )
April 9th, 2010 at 11:50 am
I live in Howard, SD because I love the community. My 4-month-old recently got to take a trip to the ER due to RSV, and I’ve had so many people ask how he’s doing this week. I FEEL fortunate to live in a place where your neighbors are such caring people!
Oh, also, a big perk of living in a rural area comes at night. I grew up near a lot of big cities, so I speak from experience when I say you’ve never truly seen the night sky until you’ve gone stargazing in the country, away from all the light pollution. It’s something that’s probably taken for granted around here, but I remember how it used to take my breath away whenever we’d come up to visit family. Another benefit of Spring – the nights start to warm up so you can stay out and enjoy them!
April 9th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Becki,
The stars are an amazing sight. I wonder why we often overlook them when we talk about the beauty of places?
April 9th, 2010 at 6:44 pm
[...] 9, 2010 in Uncategorized [This post was inspired by I Feel Fridays on Reimagine Rural. Mike, over there, is challenging us to tell stories about small town experiences that caused us to [...]
April 13th, 2010 at 7:14 pm
I definitely miss the South Dakota springs. I’m now living in Bozeman, MT to go to school at Montana State University. I love the town, but I FEEL quite lethargic and slightly depressed when it snows at least once a week for the “last three months of winter” in Bozeman, which are March, April and May. I know that my next move will be some place where I can again experience 4 distinct seasons, see the stars at night, and live in a community with caring neighbors.