As we descend from cobalt blue lakes and deep green pine forests, I realize that I’d never thought about how almond tress look in the spring. Now I know and let me tell you: rows of almond trees in spring bloom are spectacular. Now that I’ve seen almond blossoms, I wonder what they smell like.
As we reach the pass, roiling storm clouds mix with the blue sky, but we move through them and descend into fruit orchards in bloom: white blossoming trees perpendicular to the road with the ever-present orange, yellow and blue of wildflowers running beside us.
We head north again towards San Francisco, surrounded by the pink and purple of plum trees joining peach trees in blossom. The trip flies by in beauty.
And then…we climb the steep hill towards our children’s home and hit a wall of solid fog. It seems we’re going to fall off the earth. No accidents, no injuries, and eventually an exquisite view out back window of their home into grey fog, fine mist, and narrow tree branches that contrast with the city’s vertical lines stretching across the San Francisco hills. No poppies or peach blooms in sight, but beautiful, nonetheless.
On the way home, everything is in reverse: fog, fruit trees, poppies and wildflowers,
The best part of all this spring beauty, however, is the smile on my granddaughter’s face as she looks up from my arms and laughs. It’s as if Creation’s spring beauty has created the perfect bowl into which nestles the most beautiful sight and sound of all.
Whatever the purpose of life is, savoring moments of such beauty is central to its meaning. Look around and say “thank you.”