Focus on You

As we continue with our January theme, bare branches, this week we are delighted to share with you this beautiful image from Life, Unscripted Photography.  I was immediately drawn into to the shot by the detail of the branches. The softly falling snow combined with the cool tones in the background give this shot a truly winter vibe.

Thank you so much for continuing to share your art with us.  We are so grateful to have you as part of our community.

Happy Weekend!

The Beauty Of Winter

by Cathy

“When one sees the tree in leaf

one thinks the beauty of the tree is in it’s leaves,

and then one sees the bare tree.”

~ Samuel Menashe

What do you think when you look up and see a tree's bare branches? Are they boring? Depressing? Something we have to endure till spring? Or do you see beauty? Shapes? Textures?

I haven’t always paid much attention to bare trees. It wasn't until I began to wander more and more outside with my camera that I began to take notice of them. Then I began to really see them and see their individual beauty. The last couple of weeks I've taken my camera out and studied tree branches. Here's a little of what I saw.

I saw branches that looked like long fingers pointing toward the sky.

I saw multitudes of tiny branches springing from the main branch.

I have seen the shape of branches defined by snow.
(This one is from my archives. We've only had a dusting of snow this year)

I saw decorated trees with seedpods hanging from branches.

I saw mysterious branches reaching out in the fog.

I saw a squirrels nest barely hanging on to the branches.

I saw bunches of mistletoe that are usually hidden among the green leaves.

I saw twisting, bending limbs.

I saw evening light reflecting off the branches.

There is so much to see if only we would pause and look around. I hope you’ll stop for a few minutes before you go on with your day; go outside or look out the window and study the nearest tree. Marvel at its shape and texture.

It seems we here at Focusing On Life have been inspired by winter's trees. Just this week  Kelly showed us how trees can be our example in weathering the storms of life and Judy’s thoughts were on embracing the changing seasons. I hope you’re inspired by trees and our thoughts and images. I hope you'll find ways to appreciate the beauty of winter. Oh, and be sure when you find some of winter's beauty to share it in our Flickr gallery or use #focusingonlife on Instagram. We do love what you share!

Wise Words

by Judy

Advice From A Tree

by Ilan Shamir

Dear Friend

Stand tall and proud

Sink your roots deeply into the Earth

Reflect the light of a greater source

Think long term

Go out on a limb

Remember your place among all living beings

Embrace with joy the changing seasons

for each yields its own abundance

The energy and birth of Spring

The growth and contentment of Summer

The wisdom to let go of leaves in Fall

The rest and quiet renewal of winter

Feel the wind and the sun and delight in their presence

Look up at the moon that shines down upon you

And the mystery of the stars at night

Seek nourishment from the good things in life
Simple pleasures

Earth, fresh air, light

Be content with your natural beauty

Drink plenty of water

Let your limbs sway and dance in the breezes

Be flexible

Remember your roots

Enjoy the view!

When I first read this poem I remember saying  "Oh my, Yes, Yes, Yes."  It really resonated with me. I loved it so much I wrote it on the inside cover of one of my journals.  Each time I opened my journal I would read this poem.  

Being a nature lover, and one who turns to nature to unwind and rejuvenate, the tree is always a part of that process.  As we are celebrating here right now, the trees bare branches in the winter remind me of a delicate lace against the blue winter sky. Just when I think that those bare branches are my favorite part of a tree, Spring arrives and I fall in love with the pink and white buds and blossoms bursting forth.  Then of course, the lush green canopy of leaves arrive in Summer, and oh, they must be the most beautiful thing I've seen!  Until the brilliant colors of Fall arrive, and well, you've guessed it, I think that they must be my favorite part of a tree!

The poets words that I read over and over are about embracing the changing seasons. Change is tough for me, but looking at change through the eyes of the poet, through the life of a tree, has helped me manage change more easily.  Each season has a reason, and the changes that happen to the tree over the course of a year allows for much growth and renewal.  What a beautiful metaphor of life. We all go through cycles - good times and bad times, of everything going right, and then, it seems, everything falling apart. We have times of  great creativity and productivity, then possibly long periods of quiet and reflection.  Remember, like the tree, during these changes we are becoming stronger, we are renewing and growing, we are preparing to burst forth again.

Beauty in the Broken Places

by Kelly

It's one of my favorite things about where we live.

Living in a historic neighborhood, we are fortunate to have many lovely, stately, mature trees. From the glory of their spring blooms, to the welcome shade in the summer, to the amazing colors in the fall, the trees have a way of beautifying our neighborhood all year long.

But in December of 2007, it was a completely different story.

Our city was hit with a devastating and crippling ice storm.  One that destroyed many of the trees in our neighborhood.  And the ones that were able to withstand the storm were heavily damaged.

It's hard to believe that was almost ten years ago.

Thankfully, our neighborhood has recovered.  And for the most part, I don't really think about it any more.  The new trees that were planted after the storm are thriving.  The older surviving trees continue to bloom and grow with the seasons.  In fact, for the majority of the year you can't even really tell that anything happened.  Except during winter.

Because during the winter months, when the trees are bare, you can still see the scars of that terrible storm.

Gnarled branches, misshapen limbs, giant gaps in the canopy...evidence of the triage that was performed at the time. And yet, you can see where the trees are filling in the gaps with smaller limbs growing into the spaces left behind.  It's amazing really...this life force which enables them to fight and grow and thrive despite their injuries.

It seems to me that people are a lot like trees.  How that underneath the life we put out on display, all of us bear the scars of trauma and injuries.  Like leaves, the trappings and busy-ness of our daily lives tends to disguise and distract from our wounds.  Only when we are courageous enough to bare our hearts and be vulnerable, can others see the signs of storms we have weathered.

But being broken or damaged doesn't make us less valuable.  Like the mighty oaks and maples in my neighborhood, these scars add character and tell the story of survival.  Which I tend to think is immensely inspiring and interesting.  In trees and humans alike.

But beyond that, I also believe that there can be beauty in these broken places.  It happens when we allow our wounds to make us more compassionate, more empathetic souls.  It happens when we take our pain and transform it to bring hope and joy to others.  And that in a beautiful thing.

Where do you find beauty in the broken places?  We would love for you to share it with us in either our Flickr pool or on Instagram using #focusingonlife.

Until next time,

Kelly

Focus on You

In going through the photos in the Flickr group to choose an image to focus on this week, I was amazed at the beauty you are all capturing of winter's bare branches! It's always hard to choose just one and this week was no exception.

But when I saw these branches hung with raindrop jewels and the beautiful bokeh in the background, I knew I had to share it with all of you who may not have seen it in the Flickr gallery.  This photo was taken by Larraine Zungolo who shares so many of her wonderful images here with us at FOL. Thanks for playing along with our Winter's Bare Branches theme, Larraine!

The Little Engine That Could

by Linda

Here we are just a few days past best wishes and midnight kisses. We turned the page on a month and a year that was. And boy was it! Were you eagerly awaiting the start of this new year? Did you have all kinds of good intentions and projects lined up and ready to go on the 1st?  Probably a lot of us did. There's something about the thought of starting anew that really makes me motivated. Until it's time to actually start anew. (I'll start my diet on Monday)

What happened to our motivation? I suspect the motivation is misdirected. It's great to have good intentions but without a plan, it's not gonna happen. A real plan. Like thinking and writing down all the steps it's going to take to get to the goal. I think that's why we fail. Because when have you ever gotten in your car without knowing where you are going and exactly how to get there? Probably never except for maybe a Sunday drive and even than you know you want to go somewhere scenic.
(if you fail to plan, you plan to fail)

Our motivation would be best used by setting a reasonable goal and creating real, measurable steps to get there and checking and rechecking the steps and crossing them off as we progress. Sounds tedious but it works.

What did you want to do new/different in the new year? I have been contemplating a 365 project. I say "contemplating" because I have not started yet and it's already past the 1st, but who said you have to start on the 1st? Are the 365 police going to take me to jail? But first, I will be considering the steps needed to make that happen. Yes, even if I seems painfully obvious, there should be some kind of way to monitor and re-energize me as I progress through the year. We have a Focus on a Photo a Day group on Flickr. I invite you to join me there!

And if you are looking for ideas, check out this post by PhotoJojo about photo project ideas. There is a shout out in there to our friend Soupatraveler.

Let's do this! Are you in?

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