Beyond desolateness ...

The notion of impermanence can be exemplified by the seasonality of change exhibited by the plant world: the verdancy of spring, the luxuriance of summer, the crimson foliage of the fall, and the desolateness of winter. And the cycle repeats. Thus, impermanence should be accepted as renewal, celebrated as rejuvenation, and embraced as hope. At the same time, we must recognize that glory is fleeting, that success and accolades will come to pass, and that beyond the peak is descent. Conversely, being down is not the same as being out, and there is always hope when there is a tomorrow. Just live each day to the fullest, undeterred by the tribulations of the past, nor cowed by the challenges of the future.

When the mind is calm, anticipatory but not mired in fatalism, we can see elegance in desolateness, as the following images of the plant world, all taken during our evening walks, would conjure up, and await the exuberance that would surely ensue.