McBling and Virtuoso

There are mornings when the sun peaks through the clouds enough to partially blind you but make way for a brilliant sight. The pinks hop alongside the skirts of the grayish-blue clouds. The parting oranges in the distance yearn for the sunset to return. 

Then there are mornings that you don't want to wake up to. The clouds form a solid gray sheet against the sky, the frigid air stops you at your doorstep, and flurries escape the winter into springtime. 

Screen shot of my Tuesday morning Spotify daylist 3/19/24

Much like our mental state, I don't expect a harsh line defining winter and spring. There is no such thing as an end with Mother Nature. She waxes and wanes with the state of the world and with the set of our moods. How I woke up this spring equinox is not how I woke up on this side of the earth's "last day of winter." No matter what Phil tells us—six weeks, sixteen weeks—the wind will dance as it sees fit. 

The disappointing thing about it all is we still expect the wind, the earth, the fire, and the water to be manipulated. Unfortunately, we cannot bend the elements at will. We can, however, learn to adapt. Spotify's new "daylist" feature displays our everchanging moods in the form of music. While yesterday was a soft rock throwback morning and a Jujutsu Kaisen OST evening, today gives room for a Lofi slow morning and Broadway showtune afternoon. Providing space for my moods, my wants, and my needs to thrive in the fashion they see fit allows for a harmonious execution of the day. 

Screenshot of my best friend’s Spotify daylist 3/18/24

The power of music and weather has no bounds. The perfect song can completely flip a mood, while the weather can turn it back around again. A rainy day can be cozy or trapped. A cold breeze can feel ominous or refreshing. The day's routines can feel monotonous and suffocating, while the right playlist can make it the most productive work day of the week. 

As my thoughts reach their end, I see my playlist has given me hope for a better remainder of the day. "Spring is coming" by jaackson. Spring is coming. But spring isn't the only time the temperatures reach new heights. Spring is not confined to longer sunsets and quick sunrises. Spring is the mindset I wake up with. Spring is my body's readiness when the sun creeps through the parting clouds. Spring is the newness of a job, the satisfaction of a finished project, the content of a groin-quivering kiss. Spring is newness and rebirth and bloom. 

For all things spring is, and what spring is not, spring will always come back. 

Screenshot of my Spotify daylist 3/18/24