Concord, Mass., contributed by Dillon Browning (2025)
I took this image during one of my weekend day trips out of Cambridge to Concord. It was a mild autumn day, the final Saturday of October, and I traveled to Concord on the commuter rail at dawn. That day, I visited Sleepy Hollow Cemetery to enjoy nature and explore the famous graves at Authors Ridge. After walking around and discovering much of the cemetery, I decided to sit on a gravestone bench to rest for a moment. As I sat there, I absorbed my surroundings—the cool, breathy breeze brushing against my skin; the gentle rustling of leaves diving from the trees; the distant bird songs and the coos of mourning doves drifting through the air; and, most importantly, the quiet peace of the spot.
One thing I did not anticipate about coming to Harvard was how much I would miss the serenity that nature brings me. The urban environment stifles and distances me from the natural rhythms of life and the changing seasons. Living in a rural place teaches you to become intimately attuned to these movements—the cyclical patterns of birth, life, death, and renewal—whether it’s the crops growing in the fields, the birds and deer wandering about, the final glow of the setting sun replaced by a blanket of stars on a clear night, the cricket’s song on a warm August evening, or the penetrating silence of falling snow.
This reminds me of the biblical quote from Ecclesiastes 3:1–2: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot.”
That afternoon, I somewhat begrudgingly ventured back to campus. The following day, my life turned upside down. I received a call about the imminent loss of a dear family member. Less than twelve hours later, I was flying across the country—confused, alone, and overwhelmed with emotions. As I navigated the loud, crowded airports on my journey, I kept returning to this image and this place. A place of silence, peace, and stillness—a sanctuary amidst the chaos enveloping me.
