Elemental

Against the backdrop of COVID, 2020 emerged an elemental year with two distinct and opposite themes of fire and water.

As COVID raged and established its permanence in my daily life, I found a strong pull towards nature and in particular water. The therapeutic nature of water and its ability to heal the mind, body and spirit was the answer to all the stress, anxiety and uncertainty I was experiencing.

I found myself drawn to excursions with my daughters to the mountains and rivers of Colorado - all within 2 hours of my home in Denver. Sometimes it was just our family and sometimes we joined other families - social distanced and in separate accommodations. Every single overnight trip we took was at a campsite or cabin adjacent to a river or lake.

Juxtaposed against water, we experienced fire. "There’s little doubt that 2020 will go down in infamy as one of the toughest periods of change in American history. Here in Colorado, intense wildfires and the resulting harmful air quality will be remembered as one of the prevailing storylines of this extraordinary year." - 5280.com

The three largest wildfires in the state's history burned through the summer and into the fall. We experienced it as horrendous air quality and falling ash, eerie orange light flooding our homes, and unbelievably beautiful sunsets. The 'front and center' result of climate change made a profound impact of my daily life.