Slice of Life Story Challenge 2020 -- Day 7
March 7, 2020
"What do you see?"
***************************************
What do you see?
The branches of the silver maple trees are bare and lifeless. They have no leaves yet, no sign of any green. It may be March, but it is still winter here in Ohio.
It is trying to be spring outside. The sun is shining today, and the temperatures are starting to warm up. Yesterday it was spitting snow; today the sunbeams flood us. Tomorrow may be warm again, then the next day, cold. You don't know from one day to the next! The spring tug-of-war has begun.
But look at those bare, brown, lifeless tree branches again. Look closely.
There IS life showing.
For years, I have seen these brown bud-like things on the branches of my silver maple tree. I've watched the buds open in the spring, and eventually become the winged seeds that we, as kids, called "helicopters" because of the way that the seeds drop from the branches and spin down to the ground. What I didn't know, until today when I did a bit of research, is that those brown bud-like things are actually flowers! They're not very noticeable because they're brown or reddish-brown, and blend in with the branches. Most people don't know they exist. I knew they existed, but never realized that they're flowers.
So, the flowers on the branches of my silver maple tree are bursting open right now. Those "bare" branches are full of life! The flowers aren't as showy as the flowers on many trees in the spring, but they are there: new life, just waiting to be seen. If you don't look closely, you'll miss them; a quick glance won't do.
Life is kind of like that sometimes. There are so many things that we think we understand after one look. But do we really understand? Have we looked deeply enough to really know what we're looking at?
What do you see?
:-)
****************************************
JudyK March 7, 2020
We are starting to see signs of spring here in Indiana, too. I think it has been too cloudy and rainy for much of a burst, but I am ready. I actually wrote about that today!
ReplyDeleteI missed your post yesterday, Leigh Anne.... I'll go back and take a look at it! I, too, am ready for spring! Thanks for your comment :-) ~JudyK
DeleteI love your line "The spring tug-of-war has begun." Through your observations you learned more about the trees in your backyard. In Illinois, our trees don't have buds yet but this year I'll definitely look for to see if perhaps those buds are actually flowers. Thanks for sharing your new learning with us!
ReplyDeleteLearning new things is such fun! I've always loved the spring blooms on apple trees, cherry trees, etc, but never realized that maple trees have flowers. Now I have something more to look forward to every spring! :-) ~JudyK
DeleteI also loved the "tug-of-war" line. Great way to describe the volatile nature of weather! But most especially I loved your final conclusion. Excellent life observation!
ReplyDeleteYou totally got it! Thanks, Cathy, I'm glad you enjoyed it. :-)
Delete