When we glance back and consider what has been, it is easy to look with regret upon what has occurred in the past. Thoughts like, “If I had only done this”, or “If I had not done that, things would be so different” come easily.
I think about the past when I am wandering around in places like this. I wonder how tall the mountains used to be before the ice. I think about what it looked like when this land was covered in glaciers. Then, after the ice had finished its work of carving this work of art, how different did it look than before the ice appeared? How tall were the waterfalls? How deep were the canyons? I love to imagine this wild place eons ago when Native People viewed these majestic scenes. Did it look the same as it does now? Do you know what I think? I think mountains like Palace Butte and Maid of the Mist Mountain have endured some difficult times. I imagine that if they could talk, they might express some regret at what had happened. Think about it though, if the Ice Age had not left its mark here, things would look much different. This unmatchable landscape would likely not be nearly as rugged and interesting.
I think life is like that for all of us. Most of us have endured pain and difficult circumstances. To be sure, some of you have faced a more difficult journey than others. On the other side of that though, there can be a beauty that is difficult to comprehend. Be patient, stay strong when you can, lean on each other when you can’t, and embrace the journey. The passing of time leaves its mark on all of us, and it is a beautiful thing.
To mark the passing of time, I have used a very long exposure to create this image. 433 seconds long to be precise. It has a magical way of capturing the movement in the clouds and really adds a sense of richness to the image.
