Oh the Sky
Winter gives us the sky. In my garden, through the branches of both the large majestic trees and the younger or smaller ones, I see probably 50% more sky than during the growing season. Any everywhere I go, the sky is visible through the naked trees and the contours of the land can be seen as well without all the greenery. Oh the sky! I love the sky and seek places where it is big and open and in the winter that is all around.
The evergreens have also emerged from hiding amongst the summer growth. And that green has much value now that so much has gone dormant. Even the dull sheen off an American holly leaf and the off-color green of Virginia junipers are a gift of color in winter. And then there are the gems of winter- the magnolias-bright and statuesque, the lovely pines, and rhododendrons with their fat buds, all teeming with birds who like their shelter. This shift into winter is calming and it is easy to just sit and look.
I try not to think about the bulbs lying in the soil waiting for spring. Or the thousands of buds that line the branches of all the shrubs and trees and which will easily wait out all the cold and snow. There will be time enough to get impatient for spring. Right now we have the sky to enjoy, and also the clouds. And each year I have the feeling anew that I need to remember that this beautiful sky is always there behind the leaves. And in the same way, the ghosts of all my flowers are here too even when their blossoms are no longer seen. There is a richness to letting memories have real physical space in one’s life and I’ll let the vast blue sky be a reminder of that.