“Winter lingers and takes its toll, slowly drying and fading even the most tenacious foliage. My beloved beeches are no exception. Day by day, their colour also succumbs to the elements, but faded and weather worn, they still hold on, awaiting their spring replacements.” – Ed Lehming

I’m starting to feel like this beech tree, hanging on, awaiting spring and the promise of relief from the cold of winter and the isolation COVID has had on our world. I hang on by reminding myself that this is a temporary, though emotionally taxing, period in our lives. The past year has been like nothing most of us have ever experienced, nor want to experience again.

As I look at images like this, I can’t help but find them analogous to where we are right now. The long winter of the pandemic drags on, but we are starting to see signs of hope; vaccines are starting to be deployed, and the world seems to be moving towards something slightly better, albeit at an agonizingly slow pace. I feel a bit like this beech tree, my source of brightness through the dark winter months, hanging on to it’s leaves, just as I hold onto fond memories of times with family, friends and travel. I’ll keep hanging onto them in the hopes that, very soon, there will be new memories and experiences to take their place in my life.

iPhone 12 Pro @ 4.2 mm
1/1949 sec, f/1.6, ISO 32