In the midst of the days where we can’t remember which is named what, I escaped to the woods one evening with my son. Of all of my people, he and I are the ones that heal our very souls in the midst of the breath of the trees and the melody of the creek and the holy hush of the world that lies quietly waiting and silently growing. It is there that we find our breath and smiles again. Each noise is a possibility of a sighting of a creature that raises one’s pulse. Every living thing, a testimony of a mighty Creator, intent on impressing me. Fragrances abound — decay, new life, freshness. It’s all there in the holy hush of the forest. We wait for the elusive moose. We prepare to see a wooly bear fresh from hibernation. We examine tracks and trails and turds to identify our fellow creatures. We remember the lessons the forests teach. I will relay them with each photo that follows.

Even if you feel a bit weathered, it’s possible that the extras you acquired as you grew and aged make you MORE beautiful in your uniqueness.

We might be stuck with folks who just aren’t quite the same as we are, but it’s okay to embrace the differences and in doing so, we both grow.

Your crown may not look like anyone else’s, but in its rugged story, there is beauty.

Look closely. Where you see darkness, there is always life bursting forth beneath the surface. Don’t give up. Hope is new every Spring.

Take time to reflect on where you’ve come from and how much you’ve grown.

Listen for the song. https://youtu.be/N2__BjvhbMY You’ll have to hush to hear it.