Last week, I took a walk through Owen Park in Madison, WI. Tucked away in a residential area, it’s hard to remember that the city exists just beyond.

Made up of prairie and oak savannah, there was so much beauty that captured my heart.

Now, as I sift through my photos full of sunshine, it rains outside…sometimes suddenly, strong and steady, other times light and misty. It’s a lovely gray November day, so different than these photos, but perfect for sitting inside. The contrast feels wonderful…there are so many different types of beauty in the world.

Things are changing (as they always do). It is November, and so many leaves have already fallen, flowers have turned to seed heads, grass has turned dry–an orchestra of sound in the wind.

Yes, it’s Election Day in the United States of America, and yes, I am trying to redirect my focus as to not go crazy from all the commentary. With so much anxiety riding on this election, there is a sense that whatever I write today, it will be standing on the “before” of whatever happens. And there will be an “after,” regardless of the results. This is a scary thought in itself. So, as I wait, I turn to nature.

I turn to the prairie and the oaks for comfort, wisdom and hope.

I am first reminded to bend

and join myself with the music of life.

To let a lightness fill me, illuminate my insides, and connect to others beside me.

To have courage, to stand out, stand up, be as bright as I know I am.

To also allow myself to be soft, a comfort to myself and others.

To recognize that softness in others can sometimes be guarded by prickles, but it is possible to find.

And that just as amber big blue stem meets big open blue sky,

We, too can meet others different than ourselves and rejoice.

When the time comes, let seeds fall to plant new beginnings.

Let them fly….

We can never go back.

Somethings must fall and drift.

Relish the memories.

Know that the future holds space for new seasons.

This last photo was taken during a very slow walk in Governor Dodge State Park (Dodgeville, WI) in mid-October. This one reminds me…

To Look Up! 🙂

Wishing you well this day and every day.