Garden of life and death

On one of my recent away days, I was in the presence of a beautiful garden that was so peaceful and quiet. As I wandered around it soon became clear that the beauty in which I was surrounded in was made up by both living plants and dead ones. The beauty of walking on the pathway with dead leaves making that ever so satisfying crunch sound, the trees that were half alive and green and yet had dead bits around them; the trees that had died yet still were beautiful and the dead grass waiting to be put back into the garden at some stage to help grow life. In life we are surrounded by both life and death, can we ever step back and see the beauty in all life has to offer. Sometimes it is hard and painful, yet it provides something of beauty and majesty.