Beautiful Photo Friday

 A tenacious symbol of a "battered friendship"

A new life-fresh, green, pristine and full of promise for the future.

This little heart shaped battered and scarred up cactus was given to me by a friend I've known for almost 30 years-(Wow! that's a long time.) She told me it was like our "battered friendship" ours is a friendship that has some battle wounds and scars-a friendship that isn't always easy and free, but instead has a rugged, tattered beauty that is beyond skin deep. I guess maybe she was right- like a cactus living out in the elements-our friendship has been modified as was the shape of this cactus. The scars of life have formed and changed us for better and worse; some are visible on the outside and tell their own story, some are more obscure; hidden away in our hearts changing us forever. Recently, this symbol of rugged beauty put on a tiny new pad- small,tender, fresh and green this little pad is a well spring of hope for the future.With a little bit of love and attention-this little pad will someday grow into a beautiful pristine pad that will proliferate and grow into a thriving tenacious if not majestic mound of cactus.