“This piece started with the theme of bare branches. This time of year, the trees have lost all their leaves, and they appear empty, exposed and vulnerable. Like they have nothing to hold onto. I have been feeling that way, too. And yet when so much has fallen away, what has always been there – their long & strong limbs and the vast expanse of the sky – becomes visible. Similarly, in my own emptiness, I am noticing how much is there that I often overlook. And how there is a freedom in no longer clinging to what I held onto too tightly.

Then I started to think about how it is with the trees and their bare branches that I ironically often find comfort during times of emptiness and uncertainty. In their company, I feel safe. Like I can show up empty, and they understand that it is a natural part of life. I also feel seen, like they are bearing witness to me in a world that can seem so foreign that I often feel invisible. And I feel known, like I belong. Not because I fit in, but because I can show up as I am. Even with legs made of dogwood twigs, a lichen vest, and hair of dried peony! And surrounded by moss! There is something comforting to me about moss, its softness and how it grows in dark places.

During times of emptiness and uncertainty, finding places and people with whom I feel safe, seen and known is so important. Whether it is with the trees, sharing with a good friend, talking with my sister on the phone, or lying next to Sandy in bed. When this happens, I realize my bare branches are not lacking, but instead are serving to open me up to all that is there in simple abundance – inside & out.”