Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Bittersweet Exposed

image from picassawebalbums
While skiing through Capital Hills golf course, I was impressed by the aesthetic of the shrubs, bare trees and (everywhere) bittersweet.  As I glided along completely smitten by the exposed, winter panorama, I started thinking about how so often there is more present than what initially meets and greets the eye. How beauty can be subtly layered, frequently becoming more striking as the artifice is stripped away. Yes, of course, verdant greens and brightly hued flowers are obviously stunning, but is what remains after the blowsiness of youth has been exhausted of equal beauty?  And, can the same rationale transfer to relationships?  When the vibrancy and excitement of new love have weathered into a landscape of subtle shades of brown with bursts of unexpected vibrancy, is what remains more than bittersweet?

2 comments:

  1. I really love your thoughts today and the inquisitive approach that you are taking towards mother nature. It is refreshing to be reminded how beautiful winter can be, or any season for that matter. The season of full bloom to a season of bare essentials. However, I can't help but hear the word "life cycle" repeat over and over again when I am thinking about your writing and nature. Wild nature takes care of itself, usually growing unruly yet beautiful at many layers as you said. Can I say the same for transferring nature to nurture of a relationship. I don't think I can. This beauty that you speak of during your skiing is a wild, untamed beauty. A relationship, on the other hand, takes work. It is easy work in the beginning, when love is fresh, bright and new. As time goes on and the relationship doesn't necessarily always "cycle", we will see the shades of brown with bursts of love and bright colors. However, the love and brightness needs to be watered, pruned, and maybe even fertilized. In conclusion, my feeling is that your observations during your skiing were observations of untended beauty. I can't seem to justify the transfer to a relationship, unfortunately, because that beauty needs to be tamed and well taken care of in order to thrive.

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  2. Thank you, Beth. You're right, cycles need to be considered also and while the nature cycle is a given even with global warming and other anomalies, the relationship cycle seems much less predictable. I suppose only time will tell.

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