A Blessing in Disguise

Pollen - a blessing in disguise.  For those who are allergic it brings sneezing; burning, watery eyes; coughing; and runny noses.  But pollen leads to the creation of new seeds and new plants.   The pollen that causes the most distress (according to Medicine.net) is that of trees, grasses, and weeds.  While I'd love to do away with weeds in my yard,  I believe the shade provided by hardwood trees  is worth the suffering caused by the pollen.
We hiked under these trees last Thanksgiving and were blessed by the beauty of the changing color.

Last Saturday we buried my father under the shelter of these flowering cherry trees.   Their beauty gave us comfort and reminded us of the God's grace.

And so, when I see the yellow blanket on everything, I will remember that it will pass and will say a prayer of thanksgiving for the trees that bring joy and comfort.

"Why are there trees I never walk under but large and melodious thoughts descend upon me?"  

Walt Whitman, Song of the Open Road

"God is the experience of looking at a tree and saying, "Ah!"  Joseph Campbell

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe."  John Muir