In Seward, Alaska, there’s a tree that holds dozens of buoys in all their colorful finery. It’s a weird kind of tourist attraction, yet oddly appropriate for a fishing community. They’re tucked up and tangled within the old tree limbs. In their re-purposing they have a function that’s no less meaningful than their original purpose.

Today felt a little like that buoy tree — lots of moving parts and entangled pieces bobbing around in the wind. It felt hurried, disjointed, out of place. So I’m grateful I’ve visited Seward’s buoy tree because it’s given me a nice reframe for days like this. Instead of feeling shackled by busyness, I can conjur up a colorful image and remember that all those moving parts have a purpose, even if they feel out of place. It’s a whole new perspective when life is scattered.