Whenever the holiday season threatens to overwhelm, and at some point – or points – it always does, I find it helpful to pause and examine the smaller moments, the simpler moments. Toward that purpose, I look to nature, which can be found almost anywhere, even in the deepest of downtown areas. At this time of the year, particularly in a year as warm as this one has been, there are still berries and fruit and even a few flowers left, such as seen on these cotoneaster shrubs.
Adorning herself in scarlet berries, Nature betrays her own form of seasonal celebration. Pockets of landscaping and corners of hidden yards reveal these treats if one bothers to look. I seek them out, searching for the tiny breaks in the day that they provide. It’s worrisome that it hasn’t been cold enough to move along the scene, and though that speaks to a greater danger, I’m going to be grateful for the sight, in the same way I was once happy to see roses in December.
