Moving away from your home, your state, your work, your friends, and your family isn’t easy.
Everything is new.
The excitement of change comes with a price: stress.
I am taking some lessons from the trees in this new climate.
In the first photograph you can see a skinny tree standing beside a house on the right. On the day I took these photographs I watched that skinny little tree — standing taller than the house — bear more and more snow as the day went on, gradually bowing under the increasing weight until the tip dragged on the ground. I thought the trunk might break. The homeowner soon tramped out and whip-lashed the flexible branches, freeing the snow and allowing the tree to spring back to its original posture. I noticed that the tree stayed upright after that, regardless of the continuing snowfall.
The first wet snow sticks and pulls everything down. If this initial weight is released, further snow slips off more easily.
I might need some help shaking off that first snow, but I will stand tall again.
A Clean Surface. 
I love the photo of him reaching out to touch the tree – what a great shot to talk about new beginnings.
Thanks! I really liked that one, too.
Great metaphor! It can be difficult starting out new but as you’ve pointed out in this simple and lovely post, it definitely has its own beauty.
Thank you, Jaqueline.
🙂
Mat a great metaphor for life. Made me smile this morning, sore as i am, and now I’m headed out from the house :-). You’ll acclimate soon enough — at least there’s family.
I’m glad to make you smile, Jared.
Great luck in growing accustomed to your new surroundings. One of my favorite parts of snow is walking in the silence it creates as it falls… and of course snuggling up to someone warm as we watch the snow fall (oh… that’s a way old past time… but something fun about snow nonetheless).. Thank you for your post and I nominated you for a blogger award. Please see it here: http://www.currierose.wordpress.com
Thanks, Currie!
What a beautiful post and what a beautiful way to look at the curve balls life throws us. 🙂 Can’t wait to see how your “tree” is doing come spring.
I am definitely looking forward to Spring. Thanks for visiting.
Good luck in your new life! The first few months will be hard, but then you will start settling in and enjoying. I moved from London to the South of France a year ago and it took me six months to get used to my new lifestyle! Now I can’t imagine moving back to the capital 🙂
You are brave, regardless of the circumstance. Think about your tree again this spring, as you keep putting down roots.
Thank you, I will.