Pictures

 

Sometimes A Picture Says It All

   I have been writing for a number of years now and have made attempts to say many things and share some of my thoughts about life, it’s meaning, its purpose, an opportunity for looking back, but also about looking forward.  But every once and a while there is a picture that can tell a story better than words and that may have occurred recently for me. 

   It was a very bright, sunny morning and as I walked around the yard with my dog this chilly Spring day, the colors and glow of the crab apple tree, in full bloom in my front yard, caught my attention. The tree has been part of this property for many years, at least 21 years of my time living in this home.

   Some years the tree has blossomed well. Others, not so well. My sense is that its yearly growth has, in some part, been determined by the climate, the proceeding winter and cold weather and maybe the amount or lack of rain. And, as I think about that, it reminds me of my own growth and aging over time. What things in life have made me who I am today?

   A quick question to Alexa on the average life of a crab apple tree informed me that they tend to live for 40 to 60 years and that their success is dependent a great deal on Mother Nature and on the care of its owner. Too many hits with the lawn mower at the roots can cause severe damage and loss of life.

   As I looked at the blossoms and crab apples that have already started to bloom, I can see the places where branches had once been before the storms of rain, snow, and ice over the years but now were gone. Many of the current branches are twisted and turned into strange shapes and angles over the years but were still doing their assigned role and responsibility of proving a place for fresh blossoms and crab apples each year, crab apples that provide food and energy for the wildlife that feed off of them each year.

   As I looked at the tree on this particular day, it reminded me of my journey through life, the bright sunny days, the various storms in life over the years and their effect throughout my life and the many lessons learned. But if I can still have some bright, sunny days that reflects who I am or still strive to become, the picture of the tree will serve as a reminder that sometimes it is more than just ‘500 words’, but about a simple picture.