Growth, Decay, Renewal

On a hot, sticky day, I decided to leave the city and head to a nearby park. The park has a wonderful cliff with a gentle creek meandering beneath it. As I waded in the cool water, I came upon an old tree. At one time it had a majestic canopy, but it died many years ago. I was struck by the contrast between the dead tree and the profusion of trees, flowers, and weeds that surrounded it. The cycle of growth, decay, and renewal continues in spite of all we have done to ignore the earth’s distress.