Over the last few years, being outside each day has become almost as necessary for me as breathing. I wouldn’t have called myself an outdoors enthusiast for most of my life, but as each year passes, I grow a little more in that direction. Being in nature brings peace to my mind and soul. Nature invigorates me, and most days I don’t feel like I’ve truly lived unless I’ve spent some time outside.

I can’t escape that end-of-fall feeling of sadness, though. When all the leaves have dropped and the grass is a dormant brown and not yet covered with sparkling snow, it’s hard for me to feel as starry-eyed about nature. It seems that nature shuts down until spring rolls around and the trees blossom once again.

Recently I was reading a book about trees with my kids and I came across something new that surprised me. I learned that trees actually form their buds at the end of summer! Even before the trees change color and drop their leaves, they are quietly getting ready behind the scenes for the year ahead. While they look as if life is over in the winter, they are in fact already equipped with all they will need to blossom when spring’s thawing temperatures return.

Thinking about this part of a tree’s life cycle gives me hope for the seasons in my life that feel dormant. While I sit waiting for growth to happen, perhaps what I can’t see is that God has already laid the foundation in me for what’s to come, I just need to wait.

Amber Harder