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Looking Back
Sunflowers forever look towards the happy face of the sun. It is good to do the same. Sometimes, however, we find wholeness by turning towards the shadow. When we accept the darkness of the past we may find and lovingly care for old wounds so they may begin, finally, to heal.
Moment of Glory
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I didn't tend to my garden much this year. Awkward weeds took full advantage, as neighbours looked on with disapproval. One flower was undeterred. In a quiet, hidden place it reached up through the earth and bathed in a sunray. On that cloudy day, the combination of flower and sun lasted only a moment. It may be true that beauty is fleeting, but it is rarely absent.
Chimes
The river level dropped quickly one winter morning, just as the temperature dipped below freezing. The result was a wonderland of delicate icicles that lasted for a few hours at most. It is a marvel that the same unseeing river that had overflown its banks and carried away trees, had also created something of such delicate beauty.
Letting Go
In late autumn these seed pods cling to their branch, braving icy winds and storms of snow and sleet. Finally, they will release their grip and drift to a new place. How do they know when to let go? The decision is made for them by their environment: a combination of temperature change, the dryness of the air, and the passage of time. In our lives, circumstances present us with necessary change as well. So often, it is hard to let go.
Transformation
Like something out of science fiction, the monarch caterpillar enters this strange looking chamber, emerging months later as a completely different creature.
It is easy to think in terms of strange vs. normal, common vs. unusual, mundane vs. remarkable.
But if we put away our preconcieved notions we may realize that every facet of life is truly miraculous.
Tree of Light
I walked past this tree for years without so much as noticing it. Late one night the darkened streetlight, the fog, and the light behind this tree all conspired to finally get my attention. Now, whenever I walk past it, I remember the dazzling display and even appreciate its beauty in the drab of daylight.
Distant Shore
In ancient times, philosophers debated whether life was always changing or whether nothing ever changed. Some compared life to a river that is always moving. Others pointed out that the river itself was in the same place day after day.
I think of the ever changing yet never changing river as I look back on the years of my life. So much has changed, yet it is the same lifetime.
Someday I'll cross the river and, perhaps, gain a deeper understanding from its distant shore.
Evening Stream
As human beings, many of us go about our lives during daylight hours. While walking in the evening and keeping a tuned ear, it becomes clear that, for much of the natural world, night is day.
Earth and Heaven
We long for spring, when the buds break and the trees clothe themselves in leaves. Winter has a beauty of its own, however. When the trees stand naked and the landscape is barren, the beauty of the sky is hard to miss.
Stream
There are times when I feel like the events of my life are carrying me along, much like a leaf is carried along the surface of a swiftly flowing stream. Events happen, and I make decisions and respond, but in reality it seems that life has a direction already set out for me.
Ruins / Crocus in Snow
The first day of spring finally arrived after a long winter. The air smelled alive again and the crocuses dared to bloom. Soon after, however, the weather turned once again and the snow covered the fallen flowers like sand covering ancient ruins. Still, even in their frozen state, the flowers were signs of hope. Spring had sprung once this year – it would soon spring again!
Broken Shell
There are times in my life when fears cause me to retreat, like a snail going into its shell. I saw this shell and it seemed to me a symbol of personal transformation. The shell looked as if it had been broken out of – from the inside out. I know that this isn’t the case – but the mind seizes on visual images to express things when words fall short.
For Granted
There is so much that we take for granted. It has only been for the last century or so that running water has been common. Much of the world still cannot count on easy access to clean water. The lighting in this photo highlights the golden nature of this blessing that we so often take for granted.
Transition
To be human is often to resist life. Things happen and we dig in our heels. Acceptance of things we don’t want seems to us to be a sign of weakness or resignation. But life goes on, oblivious to our resistance or our better ideas of how things should be. The sunset colours of this photo could just as easily be a sunrise, and are a reminder to me that every ending is a new beginning.
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