Old Friend

My wife and I moved to West Michigan in 2015, and I quickly learned about the plentiful and beautiful locations to hike and spend time in nature. One of these places is a little park just a short hop north of town. And in that park is a tree.

I always found myself drawn to this tree for its unique form and old, weathered appearance. It’s just off the path near a bridge, under which winds a small stream. It’s a wonderful little moment, and always worth a few minutes of my time to observe, breathe, and ponder.

But this year, on my first hike along that path in quite a while, I found that the tree had become bent and broken, bowing down towards the ground. But, even in this state, the tree is still beautiful.

These two photographs were taken about a year about.