Spring is here, the season of renewal, of letting go off the cold and stepping into something fresh and full of life. The trees burst back into green, flowers bloom, and suddenly, the air feels lighter. It is that time when festivals start on the calendar, we hit pause to get ready and take stock, and shed of what no longer fits or serves us. A reset, a renewal, a new season starts.

This year, spring feels different. As our kids turn 18 and 19, they are getting ready to leave for college, and just like that, our home is on the brink of change. It is a sweet & sour mix of emotions like pride, excitement, anxiety, a twinge of nostalgia. We are stepping into a new phase, adjusting to an emptier nest, and making space for what is next. It is a transition that mirrors the season itself, a little bittersweet, but full of promise and happiness.

My father was a firm believer that ‘Home is where love resides, memories are created, family always belong, and laughter never ends.’ Home was his temple, built with blood, sweat and tears. He loved redoing painting at our home year after year. Remembering him, I wanted to turn this spring inwards to our home.

In this context, Spring cleaning becomes more than just a task; and takes on profound meaning. As we shake off the dust of the colder months, we release the old and make space for new beginnings. It is an act that fosters clarity and invites growth, not only in our surroundings but within ourselves. This year, we are painting the home for the first time with an external help. For the past 18 years, I have been painting the home myself, involving the kids to add freshness to the walls – letting them stroke paint on the walls that were once their canvas, erasing the secret drawings they made under the table, and reorganising their room and cupboards to welcome new games and toys. The garden turning into their playground and the scent of spring flowers entering through our kitchen, and their sweet chit-chat and water splashing noise in our ears.

But this year, it is different. It is symbolic, a lesson in responsibility, a quiet wish that the next cycle of paint comes when they are truly independent. A humble way to teach our kids about care, about looking after a home like a temple, as they step into their new phase of life. Giving them an aspiration to build their home, where ever they wish and come home every season to meet Maa and Paa.

This time, every corner we clean holds a memory – scattered books, board games, colouring books, stationery, old pictures, laughter-filled nights, and Lego in every colour, form, and shape. Not parting from them, instead preserving everything for the next generation with love and care. As we tidy up, we also embrace the shift, knowing that change is part of the rhythm of life.

We take extra care to ensure that our home ‘our anchor’ stays warm and welcoming, no matter where they go or how many miles apart, they live. Coming home to find their space and belongings just as they left it.

There is something therapeutic about cleaning, about reorganising. It is a reminder that transformation, though messy at times, is always worth it. A lighter home, a lighter heart – preparing for what’s to come while treasuring what’s been and what’s gone.

So, as spring unfolds, we soak in the renewal it brings. This season is about fresh starts, not just in nature, but in our own stories. And this spring, more than ever, is a reminder that growth, change, and new beginnings are worth embracing.