“Isn’t it amazing
the way beautiful
things find us
climb into our laps
without warning
intimidate the worst
parts of our day
and only ask that we
notice them”
You may think there is nothing very spectacular about this image. It does seem pretty ordinary but my favorite things are usually ordinary. The things that we may take for granted like the wood fruit bowl that sits in the center of the table. Sunday morning I woke up earlier than I usually do on a weekend day. I was the second person up. The first already gone for work for the day. When I walked down the stairs from our room I immediately was taken by the light shining on the dining room table. It was a gift to wake up to. My eyes saw it far better than this image can portray. This is just a snapshot and idea of what my eyes saw Sunday morning. I notice from the memories that Facebook will pop up that it’s this time of year exactly that most my images are shadows and light. It’s the fall golden light. Southern California doesn’t quite get a true colorful fall, but we do get a beautiful golden light that is noticeably different than that of summer and spring. As I’m becoming older I notice I have definite patterns in the course of a year.
I hope I never stop appreciating the gifts that surround me. The faithful creaky wood floors, the light that moves through a room in the morning sunrise and also in the evening sunset. I hope I never stop noticing the sweetness of a crisp apple, the hot cup of coffee that feels especially right in my hands. I find such comfort in the walls of this home we have had for the past 20 years. I think about moving to a place that has less traffic and more nature but for now I find the beauty in this place, the place I am now.
I started this project because Christina invited me to pick up my camera and find the beautiful things that surround me and remind me to be mindful in the things that I do, the images I share. I’m really grateful she invited me to do this project. It makes me happy to know that she is appreciating her moments so very much that she has not had a chance to share them lately. Her last image made me laugh because it was simply a wide eyed owl that read, “do you ever feel like this?” Yes. Yes I do.