Loose Park has been part of my life my entire life. Whether I go there to make portraits of people or roses, play with my dog, meet other dogs and their people, run, or take walks with a friend, every visit is an occasion.
The trees are a big reason I have such joy every time I step into this park. They have been a constant through the years—and through my own joys and challenges.
No matter the time of year or time of day, I look forward to seeing these trees. Though they change from season to season, they also stay the same. Connected to the earth with generation-deep roots, they are silent guardians of peace and patience.
Chestnuts, cypress, tulip trees, willows, dogwoods, redbuds and magnolias invite my attention. Some are long-time favorites I stop by every visit. And I continually discover new trees I haven’t seen yet.
A home and refuge for birds and animals, sky-brushing oaks, maples and evergreens watch over frisbee players, people in love, ecstatic children and euphoric dogs near flight. Tree limbs dance together over well-traveled sidewalks and bridges, rolling meadows, duck and koi ponds. In winter, bare branches, heavy with snow, dazzle under the frozen white sun. During summer, the trees take a bow with their rich, dark green leaves. In fall, they paint the view with rust, gold and garnet from sky to ground. And they bud and bloom, fearlessly, through frosty late springs.
Invincible and vulnerable, each knot, gnarl, crack and twist reveals unyielding winters survived, and smothering summers endured. Broken branches, with stories of their own, rest on the ground close to where they budded and grew.
I honor these trees from a distance—and when I stand near enough to touch them. In times of happiness, or when I need comfort, the trees I love always hold my heart for a moment.
