Through Leaves

The sunshine is back. That’s very good news.

And it was one of those days…just sunny and nice enough to be comfortable but not warm enough for my standard summer outfit…shorts and a tank top. (I tried but was way too cold.)

So I settled for jeans and my current-favorite black warm up jacket over that tank top, grabbed my guitar, and plopped down into my favorite chair out on the back patio while Maelie played this afternoon.

I strummed for a bit, worked on a few new chords, quickly lost my patience for learning anything new, put my guitar down, kicked my feet up, and stared into the trees.

I love the feel of the full-on sun on my face. I’m not the bronze-obsessed girl I used to be, but I still love a little color and the sun’s warmth as it beats down on me. Unfortunately, because of the time of day it was, all I could have were the little strips of golden sunshine poking through tree branches and leaves.

It frustrated me for a minute, but as I kept my eyes fixed on those leaves, it hit me.

While I might not have been getting the sunshine I wanted, what I had was still beautiful.

Life is kind of like that. We have this expected idea of all that is beauty and good, and it’s all we want. Today…it was worth it. To let go of my desire for sunshine and to see the beauty, instead, through the leaves.