I took this trip down to Tucson after accidentally leaving my hat at an airbnb, and ended up having the most fun with Martha and her three daughters in Saguaro National Park for an impromptu motherhood session. We drove the long winding road through blooming ocotillo and cacti, and finally ended up at these beautiful rock formations in time to watch the sun set. Seeing these sweet girls laughing with each other and their mama reminded me of my own family, and spending time with my sisters. There is nothing sweeter.

As we walked around this little corner of Saguaro national park, Martha told me that their family had just moved into town, and this was their first time getting out to explore. The girls discovered plants they’d never seen before, and it was extra special getting to see such beautiful, bright blooms on all the plants. The best part of the desert is watching the landscape come alive around you as you step into it. From the road, it can look boring and bland, but walking into a beautifully preserved landscape like the national park magnifies how diverse and unique this ecosystem truly is.

Being surrounded by ancient saguaros puts human life into perspective; we’re here for such a small blip in time, we are one generation of several that will walk near the towering cacti, watching our babies run ahead. How many mothers have watched their children grow up under the ever present eye of an ancient giant? How many children have watched their mothers become old here? We are given these finite slices of time to make our way through life, and motherhood is one of the most sacred journeys of them all, from time immemorial. My own grandfather lived in Arizona as a child, and now my son has been born on desert soil, four generations looking out on the same unchanging land.

It feels like magic.