A New Year, New Beginnings

My mother has always said that on New Years Day you should do just a little of every one thing you hope to do during that next year. Of course in our case, that always implies taking a long walk. To me, walks are a form of exploration. You never know what you might find, see, or experience. Recently, I have begun to take pictures on all my walks back home as a way of documenting to remember once I'm back in Texas. You would think that after photographing or exploring the very same subject over and over again, boredom would surely set in. But it seems that the subject of my home and childhood haunts only grows more enticing. My senses in that place intensify rather than dim, its familiarity breeding contentment and deeper understanding.

I've always loved this grand old magnolia tree. When I was little, my parents used to put me up in it to climb. Now I see it growing older, leaves less vigorous, magnolia buds less full in the spring. A mounting fear rises inside me; this tree may not always stand here. But for now, for today, it is still my tree, and I know it so very well.

Besides the beginning of a new year, new traditions have also begun. Jason's mother, Linda, took us on what will hopefully be our first annual family trip together. This year she chose a place in Montana. It was one of the most spectacular places that I have ever been, and now we have so many beautiful memories all together in that place. 

 

  

  

  

 

Thank you Linda, and all of our family and friends, for the lovely experiences you shared with us over the holidays. You are our most precious treasures.