My magnolia tree—given to me in memory of my father— has been through ups and downs. Snowstorms have broken it into pieces, deer have used it as a scratching post, dental floss, etc. But today look what I found!

This discovery of a bloom, though imperfect, (what are those black critters?), reminded me that even though we go through many challenges aka tragedies, usually we survive or learn from them or grow. This magnolia bloom germinates within a belief that optimism can also survive.