Golden Girl of the West: Cactus Mother

I am constantly reminded of how lucky I am to have been born and raised amongst these beautiful cactus creatures. The desert is a place of healing, peace, beauty and nature. I would be lying if I said that I never felt the need to get out and explore life and opportunities in other cities. To see and appreciate different architecture, culture and landscapes, but my heart always brings me back to this place…. my home, my desert, my Tucson. On a lovely Tucson winter afternoon, Puspa Lohmeyer ( my friend, creative partner and photographer) and I visited one of our favorite local cactus nurseries. Dressed in a palette of winter whites and placed in front of a backdrop of cactus green. I immersed myself in a sea of saguaros and breathed deep. These particular cactus, only mere babies in comparison to the sea of ancient ones found in the deserts wild, were so promising. Each one so similar, yet so different, protected and nourished in their own skin. Healthy, youthful and content, the desert alone naturally provides everything they could ever need, a force of nature that is overwhelming in it’s own thoughts. It is when I am in the nature of the desert, that I always find my peace and clarity. The place that I venture out to walk alone in the stillness of it's modest grace. The sonoran desert is the only region the saguaro naturally grows. It is where it belongs. Gratefully, this vast landscape is right in my backyard and at the end of the day, of my travels or big city fixes, there is really no place I would rather be, nowhere else I belong. Life may take me on a journey to other places, but my heart and my roots will always be here, walking among the cactus.

Xx~Syd