This weekend, while snow and ice was blanketing much of the east coast of the US, I was shin-deep in a canyon stream. It was cool, not cold, and rushing in a way I hadn’t seen in ages. The sun filtered through branches still bared in winter’s rest and full canopies coaxed into new life by weeks of rain. The layered contrasts in this scene were not lost on me, and they extended far beyond varied ecological responses and distinct seasonal expressions.

At the start of a new year, we feel free to imagine new possibilities. It is a time for dreaming, even as we acknowledge uncertainty inherent in new beginnings. 

Sometimes, letting ourselves be interrupted is exactly what we need—a reminder to step out of our endless task lists and delight in the beauty that surrounds us.