It’s official: Spring has arrived. But would you know it? With temperatures in the 30s, it feels more like the winter that we didn’t have. We’ve had the spring teaser all winter. At least at my house – the daffodils popped through in my front garden in January. Now they stand nine inches tall, and I can see a hint of yellow in the forming buds. In years past, the thought of spring flowers in my garden by Easter would be Easter dream in Maine. This year, Easter flowers in bloom in the garden may just happen.

It’s amazing how resilient bulbs and perennials are. Each year as spring comes it always amazes me how these seemingly abused, and in the case of this year, confused, plants seem to come into bloom. The temperatures may suggest – time to grow, and then they get dumped with a snow storm or a frost. They stop growing for a spell, but then they start again.

Perhaps, those bulbs represent us as human beings. Encouraging us all that despite the conditions or the environment that surrounds us we should persevere and try again. The changing of the seasons gives me a chance to check in and start fresh in the new season. But what to do when the seasons seem blurred?

Maybe that’s a natural wake up call. Is it global warming? Or is the climate change a more natural cyclical pattern caused by movements in the ocean and atmosphere, such as El Nino or La Nina? Depending on who you ask, you’ll get a variety of answers.

Blurred vision in life evokes two reactions: an ownership that says, I can change, or do my part, or a blaming that suggests that others have caused the problem and they should clean up their act. I’m not a scientist, and I know nothing about weather patterns. But raising a family has taught me that we’re all in this together. Some are messier than others, and life can get messy too, but we’re all responsible to do clean up as best as we can.

The word Lent means spring. And spring often means spring cleaning. Whether we clean up our spiritual self or our physical environment, spring seems the natural season to take stock in all that surrounds us.

We are blessed to live in a beautiful state, and a beautiful town. The natural beauty that surrounds us needs attention, and everyone is invited to participate. The town has proclaimed a spring cleaning day for Scarborough’s marsh and beaches. It will be celebrated on Earth Day, April 22.

Earth Day came about in 1970, and depending on who you ask, it’s recognized on two different dates. The first, proposed by John McConnell, was celebrated on March 21 of that year, and has been celebrated each year since at the United Nations. The purpose was to deepen the appreciation for life on the planet and a call for humanity to become mindful of manmade disturbances that harm our natural environment. The timing of the celebration centered around the spring equinox – the time of the year when night and day are equal throughout the earth. Spring is nature’s symbol of renewal and new life.

April 22 was the date Earth Day was celebrated in 1970. The purpose was to make environmental consciousness more mainstream, and to stir political action. Becoming environmentally aware and being both responsible and accountable was the goal. Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. senator from Wisconsin, had started a “national environmental teach-in” to educate the public. The response was dramatic, and the effort achieved what he had hoped – the creation of a nationwide demonstration that stirred the political arena. More than 20 million people participated.

We all can, and must do our part in cleaning up the environment. “The climate change challenge will not be solved by government. It won’t be solved by business. It will be solved when we capture the spirit of Earth Day every day and join it to the dedication of the American people to the future of their families,” said Carol M. Browner, former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Confused over which day is the official Earth Day? It doesn’t matter! We should celebrate both, and be ever mindful that our environment endures human abuse. Each one of us, young or old, has a responsibility to clean it up. Let’s come together as a community on April 22 and clean up our town. Spring cleaning can be fun!