June 19

I dropped the boys at baseball this evening and then drove over to the Sports Park for a walk. After several days of uncomfortably warm temps, today's weather was all-but blue-sky perfect, so I had a very pleasant turn and a half around the path. As I walked along, I passed by the remnants of several trees that the city did away with, including this one.

I've always thought there was something lovely about tree rings. Not only do they look pretty, but they tell a striking story that fully chronicles the tree's life from start to finish, from the years of plenty to those of not-so-much.

Looking at those rings, I felt a sense of gratitude for all of the experiences I've had throughout my lifetime. Although I've certainly had a significant share of not-go-great ones (which I'll call the narrow rings, I guess), I realize that the cumulative effect of all of them made me into... me. And I guess that's not such a bad thing.