Solitary Tree

What creates a sense of belonging and purpose in a life?  It is a combination of faith, family, and function.  If we have faith in God, mankind, and ourselves we can see the good when ugliness is all around us.  Family is the deep roots that bind us together and gives us our identity.  Function is what we do to provide and contribute that gives us our purpose in life.  We all move through different stages in life and after have experiencing them I can now reflect on them.  When we are young we are surrounded by family and friends which forms our roots.  The working years define us by our dedication and self discipline to stay the course to be a provider and contribute to society.  Faith comes when the storm clouds appear in our lives or that of someone else.  As we transition through life some of these things diminish or disappear.  Family passes on or moves away which is all normal, but requires an adjustment.  After the working years purpose and function becomes more difficult to define and obtain.  Faith increases as time passes because there comes a point in life where investing in this life has less return than it once did.  I know this may appear to be ramblings of obscure personal thoughts, but these are things that I learn from what I photograph.  This image I made two days ago represents some of the feelings I have expressed.  This solitary cypress tree rooted in a vast area of water is in its natural environment.  Its branches provide nesting for osprey and fulfills an important purpose.  The deep roots anchor the tree during extreme winds of hurricanes.   The tree produces seeds that fall in the water and drift away to establish new trees in another location.  The cycle of life is all around us in nature if we look for it.     Ps. 127 1-5