I took this photo many years ago when we were still living in northern New Hampshire. I happened to notice the sunlight coming into our tiny bathroom window, and ran to get my camera. Balancing one foot on each side of the tub’s edge, I snapped this photo because the scene absolutely spoke to me.

Later, when I got it printed, it moved me even more. That tree was me.
That’s me – that tree, standing there alone – exposed to the elements, with nothing (or no one) for shelter.
“But she wasn’t around, and that’s the thing when
your parents die, you feel like instead of going
in to every fight with backup,
you are going into every fight alone.”
― Mitch Albom, For One More Day