Tree Beads

Tree Beads

I have had an affinity for trees since I was in grade school.  The neighborhood children and I would climb the crabapple trees that lined the road on which I lived. We spent days playing in those trees. We talked about anything and everything and made up great stories.  Our imaginations would take us on grand adventures spending the day acting them out, making them come alive. Sometimes I climbed alone and just enjoyed the tree.  As I look back I see how our stories changed as the seasons caused the trees to change, every season a new and exciting journey.

I make trees beads because they represent the wonder of changes that are a natural part of our lives.  Sometimes we instantly see the beauty of a change. At other times as when the trees lose their gorgeous foliage in the fall, the barren trees may seem lost and forlorn. The beauty of the changes is not always immediately apparent. Without the foliage we can examine the structure of the branches and the intricate patterns in the bark, seeing the beauty this season has to offer. Without the loss of the fall leaves the beauty of the structure beneath could not have been found. 

As I observe trees I realize how resilient they are.  They are strong and sturdy but can bend in the wind. When injured they often have a remarkable ability to heal and grow despite the loss of a limb or damaged trunk.

These glass tree beads represent the gifts and beauty that nature gives through the changing seasons of our lives and remind us to strive to incorporate the tree’s resiliency into our life.