When The Days Are Cold And The Trees Are Bare


If we're being honest, I'm really not a fan of this part of winter. I love snow and I love the Iowa countryside all decked out in white. However, I don't love the brown that comes after the snow has melted. Brown trees, brown grass, brown everything. I also have a brown dog, but that's a different shade and I love that brown. Just not the brown of nature outside the window right now.


But one thing I do love during this part of winter is seeing things I can't see in summer. When the trees are full of bright green leaves, I can't see the branches and the trunks the way I can right now. Today I can see just how many trees we actually have, how tall they are and if they're broken or damaged. (Stupid beavers.)


I can see how strong they are, how they've grown despite their surroundings and how they've intertwined with the trees around them. It's so interesting to see that they're not like the stick-figure trees we drew in elementary school, with symmetrical branches and little v's at each junction. They're true and real and unique all on their own.


So what I'm saying is that I need to grow in the appreciation department. Yes, I'm longing for warmer days with shades of green instead of brown. Yes, I'm looking forward to seeing the buds on the branches to remind me that spring is on the way. But right now, just for this moment, I'm going to let myself be amazed by what's underneath. I'm going to appreciate the lines created by the trees and their branches, because soon they won't be visible like they are today. And that's beautiful all on its own.

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