Seeing the Symmetry

During every holiday season, we have always had to re-arrange the furniture to accommodate our artificial Christmas tree. Admittedly, as a HGTV fan, I find it fun to see the space reimagined each year. Same stuff. Different perspective, if only for a few weeks.

This time, though, it wasn’t so much the way the sofa now faced east or how the storage ottoman sat perpendicular instead of parallel to it. Rather, it was the view that caught my attention. Maybe it was how the light hit our neighbor’s boat house or maybe it was the bright blue sky above it, but the same setting I’ve seen for a decade seemed to exude a remarkable symmetry in this moment. The rising evergreen in the background with its full crown, and the clear ridge at the roofline of the boat house with the inverted triangular shape of sunshine below it seemed to invite me to pause and take a picture.

I have looked at this photo a few times now, as it keeps reminding me of the symmetry of life — the high peaks that often become a year’s milestones and the inevitable valleys that force confrontation with uncertainty, difficulty, and the unknown. Through each experience, however, such symmetry can almost bring a sense of solace for without the peaks, the valleys cannot exist and vice versa. Moreover, symmetry suggests an ongoing pattern filled with hope, knowing that behind each valley, a peak awaits.

A dear friend and colleague once shared an observation that she came across, which suggests that life is a continual waiting for spring with all the renewal, growth, and beauty the season brings. Such a perspective comes with a level of quiet confidence that all that is old will be new again. 

Perhaps that is a perfect way to think about the start of another year, to enter 2025 looking for those reminders of symmetry with hope and resilience, while intentionally finding the sparks of spring that shine each day.

Happy 2025!