There is a tree that has gnarly limbs that bend at odd angles. Because it grows near the second floor walkway and other apartments, it is regularly trimmed, limbs hacked off with visible stumps. Laying on a limb that looks like an elongated arm with the elbow bent at a 90 degree angle, I spotted two dead leaves lit up like a lantern from the afternoon sun. This leaf reminded me of Matthew Chapter 5 with the quote of putting a light under a bushel. Which led me to consider the the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount. My mentor added the Librarian Beatitude to the list: Blessed are the flexible for they don't get bent out of shape. As Librarians we tend to like order and things done the way we have determined that should be done. But since we deal with the multitudes with a variety of sensibilities, needs and concern in a constantly changing world, she reminded me Librarians have to be mentally flexible in order to provide the best service to their communities and to retain our own sanity.

Elsewhere, I found the composition of this one intriguing. Here the dead, damaged and new growth gather together. I'm reminds me of how dynamic nature is. New life and new directions are always waiting in the wings, ready to spring forth.