Spring Ahead

Stacy and me around 2014

It's that time of the year again. The sun is starting to rise by six and the Robins are returning from their long sojourn  south. That miraculous desire to do a thorough spring cleaning takes a hold of us before going dormant again for another year. After the short, cold days of winter, the lengthening days and the 30 - 40 degree temps seem like spring has arrived. Flowers bud at the first hint of warmer weather, only to be covered once again in snow as winter lingers. Yet, the imminent return of spring generates enthusiasm to rise early, plan our gardens (I'm going to plant a few apple trees.), and watch for the return of the birds. All that mars the entrance of this grand season is the changing of the time, which leads me to my story.

Stacy, my #2 twin and third child, is a deep sleeper. Once she falls asleep the walls of Jerico could come tumbling down and she wouldn't notice. It's important to know that tidbit of information about her in order to understand the dramatic response to my changing the clock. It was time to spring-ahead an hour, so I went around the house and set all the clocks accordingly. When it came to the grandfather clock, which has three different chimes and has always been set on Westminster, I decided to change it to St. Michael. It has more of a baritone sound to it; where Westminster has a more bass sound. I thought no more about it until the next morning.

At midnight, while Stacy slept soundly in the downstairs bedroom, the grandfather clock struck twelve resounding chimes of Saint Michael. Hearing the unfamiliar sound of St. Michael, she sprang straight up in her bed and cried, "Where am I?"  When she told me about it the next morning, I rolled in laughter mingled with surprise that we had found something that could finally wake Stacy from a sound sleep. As I was setting the old grandfather clock this morning, that we've had for thirty years, I smiled again at the recollection of Stacy springing up in bed wondering where she was. Now, if I could just turn back time!