Every day as I walk to work I pass by a meadow. It's a beautiful meadow with lots of tall grass and, in the spring, tons of amazing flowers. On the left is the Church Bowl picnicking and climbing area, and on the right is this meadow. The Ahwahnee Meadow. Today, walking past this meadow, I saw my first butterfly of the season, announcing that spring is officially here. It was fluttering around the meadow and just having a gay ol'time.

But this is not an entry about the flowers (which don't exist yet). Nor is it about the life of the butterfly. And it sure isn't about watching the grass grow. It is about the trees that stand in the middle.

My eyes fall on the tree every time I walk past. In the early morning they stand out in stark contrast to the evergreens that surround them at the edges of the meadow. In the afternoon, as the sun begins to go down, the golden glow of the oncoming sunset highlights them making them pop to the eye.

It's easy for people to overlook their beauty. Especially in the winter when there are no leaves on the trees. And if you glance just a micron up your eyes are trapped by the impressive view of Half Dome. And in the spring when the dogwoods are blooming -- taking attention away from just another green bunch of trees. In the summer, with all the enormous cliff faces around, the crowds stand around watching the climbers at the church bowl. In the fall? That is when these trees will catch peoples eyes. The leaves turning to all their golden colors and falling to the meadow floor below to add to the inches of mulch at their base.

Every day I watch these trees. And I find myself drawn to them. Their beauty calls me. Their loneliness sings to me. The durability impresses me. I pondered this day in and day out as I would traipse past them. Why do these trees affect me so? Why have I, on an impulse, run over to give them random hugs?

As I walked home a couple days ago, with the golden glow of the setting sun sparkling off the white bark, I saw the evergreens surrounding. Some inching close -- reaching with their tall branches as if to say hello to a friend. And yet these trees stood all alone. Not letting the other trees too close -- and yet reaching to them with their winterly stark branches.

During this particular walk I realized that at some deep part of my subconscious, I related to these trees. Letting friends get close but keeping them at a full branch length away. Standing strong through the hardships of winter... waiting for the spring when I will begin to draw some attraction from others... knowing that in the summer I will be overlooked as more exciting things come around... and finally having a tragic fall -- a glorious fall.

These trees are me and I am these trees.
We will stand strong.
Right now we stand alone.
But ever so slowly, we will invite our good friends and family closer.