when beauty overcomes

Have you ever seen the sky with just the right amount of clouds to reflect rainbows from the sun? Or the ocean on a calm day lapping on the colorful sandy beach? Seen the rays of sunlight filtering through a kelp forest, or the deep green of a fern-filled redwood forest? Found yourself walking in a magical autumn fog on a remote island among large evergreens?

Have you been shocked by the Pacific in the Spring when the winds pick up in the afternoon, to toss your boat like a tiny fleck of dirt in a pool? Run from a sudden swarm of biting midges coming up like mist from under a bridge? Or found yourself caught by a wave, only to be pounded by rocks when the tide finally comes in?

The beauty of nature compels me to study it, to find simple patterns in the simple beauty. Yet, my heart races to see the chaos as well. How do I rationalize in my head its meaning? What am I doing here? Why is it all so wonderful, and yet horribly terrifyingly unpredictable at the same time? It's against my nature to be so enchanted by the unknown, and yet, I find myself constantly at the edge of my knowledge, groping to find meaning and understanding in it all.