Beautiful Blessings

 I went on a beautiful walk yesterday. The weather was perfect and the magnolia trees were glorious in full bloom. I'm really trying to soak in these summer days. It almost feels like a thread going through my fingers, looking back it has gone by so fast.

I came across this tree again, which I usually do if I'm going this way on my walk. I stopped and noticed that it is in full bloom, as usual during the summer months. I call it the 'raspberry tree' as it looks like the color and shape of raspberries, one of my favorite fruits. 

Almost 2 years ago, I remember I saw this exact same tree, exact location when we went to the park with my sisters and their children and our two nieces. It was a somewhat difficult time for me of transition and figuring out the next steps. My heart and mind had mostly closed off what I studied for my master's degree and charting new paths with another job at a school that I really desired to do again. I had felt at times I was also in a slump after all that the year had brought so far- so much unknown, stress, high anxiety, confusion, and not to mention wrestling with still being single at newly 32 when everyone in my family had children and growing families. The latter would come up off and on, yet be most profound when family would visit.

This type of tree also reminds me a lot of that newly challenging and growing season when my sister moved out almost 6 years ago in mid-August. These trees were in full bloom at the church we would sometimes go to when we switched up the churches we would attend during the pandemic. The trees looked fresh, ripe and at their peak in summer, but a lot of stirring in my heart and mind was going on, a new season all its own, adjustments, change, even growing pains that do turn out to be good and fruitful for us but in the moment and season it can be difficult to know that. 

Yesterday I was counting my blessings. The magnificent and pleasant weather couldn't be beat, listening to calming reflections from one of my favorite speakers Emily Wilson Husseum, finding cool books in little free libraries, my mom making a delicious sweet and sour pork recipe, finding our black kitty at 11pm ready to come inside instead of being out all night. This tree shines in all its beauty this season, and I want to thank God for all of the blessings I have.