Finding Beauty in Barrenness

My second daughter moved to Montana this year. She is surrounded by the Rockies and sees the beauty of those mountains every day when she goes outside. She has yet to live through an entire Montana winter but is so far enjoying the snow, sun, and differences between there and Illinois.

Winter has been known as a "barren" time. A time of rest. A time when the ground and earth is "sleeping" to get ready for the growth in the spring. Many parts of the country experience winter like Montana or even here in Illinois. The landscape looks brown, dull, and lifeless.

But, if you look closely, you can still see many signs of life. You can see textures on the trees, holes in the ground where squirrels are digging up their stored nut supply, and tracks in the snow from deer, mountain lions and bears. Illinois sees those deer and also an abundance of foxes and squirrels bounding about looking for food. We also see the beauty of snow just like Montana.

The first snow is always the prettiest. Blanketing everything with a white, pure touch, snow leaves it's mark like a gentle wave of glory. It caresses the ground and covers the dullness of the season.