These days I think often of one of my favorite Kate Bowler quotes, repeating it to myself as both a reminder and a prayer:
“Life is so beautiful. Life is so hard.”
Lately it’s the purple flowers that catch my attention most. There’s something just so lovely about them. Beautiful but not showy, they seem to glow softly in the evening light.
The flowers here seem to be coming earlier than usual, but leaving more quickly as well. It’s as though as soon as I notice one, perfect and beautiful, it begins to fade. But when I look closely, pay enough attention, I can see there are buds too. Something new and lovely, always on the way.