My Buds Are Back!

 

 My Buds Are Back!                                                           

Buds are popping up everywhere in my garden. I actually think of my trees and plants as my buddies, my friends. They send their new leaves and flowers to visit us each year at springtime, almost as if they had been away to a warmer climate for the winter.

These friends are sprouting on the peach tree in our backyard. We get lots of them starting to grow but don’t get any to eat any because the squirrels and deer munch on the unripe fruit as the season matures. But that’s okay. The beauty and possibilities are still welcome.

There is a joyful promise with the buds that come onto bare trees or that present color from newly emerging flowers. I can hope for peaches to ripen so we might one day actually eat them. I can look forward to seeing positive potential when the landscape looks barren. And I can hope that will grow to include how I, how we, interact in this currently difficult world.

A Tree Hug

 

A Tree Hug

I was on my daily walk when I came upon an evergreen tree. I have seen this tree before but suddenly it seemed different, almost human. Its branches were spread out in what looked like an invitation to hug. In this time when hugs are not the best thing to do, I felt appreciative and I walked into the embrace.

Hugs are so important in our interactions with those we care about. I recently wrote a picture book with Beth Savitz Laliberte called How to Love Without a Hug. It addresses how kids can show caring without physical contact. We are looking for an agent/publisher now; this is the time when kids need our support.

I was invigorated by the tree hug and went along with a bounce in my step. It helped me to be more aware of what I was seeing now, even if I had seen it all before.