Persistence

Frigid. Bleak. Long nights. Colorless days. Yep, it's January in Minnesota. Normally I'd like to write about some summer flowers with bright colors and warm memories. But this caught my eye. We've endured days of below zero temperatures and high winds (high enough to blow open our closed screen door and bend the metal rod). The wind chill sucks warmth and moisture out of every living thing. Yet this dill remains upright, waving in the high winds. This fall I didn't pull up the plants, leaving the last blooms for bees and the seeds for birds. It should be shredded and broken, but it's not. It's an inspiration for me during a difficult time (pandemic, January, work stress, caregiving stress).  If it can remain standing, so can I. This frozen, desiccated dill is the model of persistence.