there is beauty in that

I came around the bend in the road on a country highway in rural Alabama to be met by this scene.

An infinite grassland made distinct by this monolithic hardwood.

From somewhere on the horizon, a steady stream of cattle dotted the landscape, destined to join the rest of their herd under the solitary shade of this single, stoic tree.

I stopped and exited my car, attempting to witness this scene and take it in forever.

The mid-afternoon sun of the Deep South in late August soon met my pale, northern skin and made me perspire. It burnt the air, singeing my nostrils as I breathed it in. My sandals began to melt, becoming one with the asphalt.

I couldn’t have been more content with how uncomfortable I felt in that moment. If it had been my final one before expiration, I would think that all was right in the world.

As I retreated to the shade and conditioned air of my car, I remembered that we all seek relief and comfort.

There is beauty in that.