Gathering Gratitude

It’s November, the good and natural time to gather the gratitude, to count the blessings and remind ourselves of what matters most. Sometimes we get busy and miss the blessings of the ordinary and everyday things (I woke up today.). Sometimes we put more emphasis on trying to do things “perfectly” than we do on being present in the imperfect moments. Our unmet expectations can keep us from being grateful. Time together with those we love reminds us what matters most. A laugh, a smile, a story we’ve never heard before, and that big hug on our way out the door are the things that we will remember, not the food, the table settings, the clothes or the gifts. It’s the simple connections we have with those we care about that live in the photographs of our minds.

Expressing kindness is a good gratitude builder. Some days I ask God to give me an opportunity to be a blessing to someone, to be able to help another in some way, to have a part in making someone’s day just a little better. It’s as simple as a smile, holding a door open, letting someone out in traffic, or a few kind words at the checkout counter. Sometimes the opportunities are bigger, but the gratitude and blessings are what really matter, not the size.

In this blog I thought I would share some of the things I am grateful for. We all have different life paths, some more dramatic than others. Simple things, small things, sometimes have the greatest impact. It’s good to remind ourselves of the good that has come in and out of our lives and to remember that “thank you” is often enough.

Camelia, the bloom of colder weather

Longwood Gardens Trillium

THANKFUL TO BE HERE

This year I reached a milestone – I turned 65. Thirty plus years ago, while going through treatment for a breast cancer recurrence, the doctor gave me not so great odds for survival (even with chemotherapy, bone marrow & stem cell transplant and radiation). As I recall it was something along the lines of 50% chance. My question to the doctor was, “why can’t I be in the group that survives?” With the support of my family and friends, many prayers and God’s grace, I am here and thankful to be here.

Even then, I made the lemonade

Strange as it may sound, I am also thankful for the breast cancer journey. Between my first and second diagnoses, I bought my first “real” camera. I feel pretty certain that I would not have done so otherwise. I had a slew of excuses for why it took me until age 33/34 to get what I had wanted for years. I am a photographer in large part because of breast cancer. Because of those experiences in the trials, I believe I see and photograph the world differently, at least far differently than I would have without having had breast cancer. I am thankful for that and for being able to immerse myself in the beauty of the natural world that so very often feeds my soul. I’m thankful to be able to share what is easily missed in the “busy.” I’m thankful for the many answered prayers and the church family I have because of that diagnosis so long ago and for the urging of a dear friend, also named Jamie, to get checked out. She probably saved my life as I would have been prone to ignore the signs and symptoms, especially being only 32 years old.

In my element at Duke Gardens (by Mary Presson Roberts)

THANKFUL FOR FAMILY

Families are funny (shall I say peculiar) and full of imperfections that run along with the goodness. We can’t help it, we’re human. My family is no different. I am the oldest of four girls just five years apart. My parents, now both age 87 and married 66 plus years, had their hands full. They got even fuller when my father at age 26 came home from work and told my mother that he had just quit his job and was starting his own business. We were all under the age of five at the time. My father built his business and reputation for excellence and craftsmanship over the course of more than fifty years. My mother ran the administrative side of that business as well as working in various places and volunteering.

We all were taught the value of hard work, at home and on the job. We grew up watching and learning by example the value of integrity, perseverance, of volunteering and helping others. My mother taught us all how to cook and sew and fostered in us a great love of reading and learning. We traveled by way of tents and campers on vacations and explored the entire East Coast before I graduated high school. I am grateful for the lessons and experiences and opportunities. They instilled in me a love of travel and curiosity.

In these later years I am thankful to be in a position to spend time with my parents and to be available to help whenever it is needed. I listen more closely to the stories I’ve never heard before and learn more and more about them every time. I am richly blessed to have this time together with them.

And, here we are …

THANKFUL FOR PEOPLE ALONG THE WAY

Life is a series of happenings that provide opportunities to meet and get to know people in different places. Some relationships build and grow and last, while others are more temporal in nature. Each one adds a little something to our evolution as individuals. Because of my photography, both as a student and educator, but also in neither capacity, I’ve had the opportunity to meet and learn about a lot of people and places that I would not have without photography. I’ve made many friends because of photography. I’ve learned much from others and have been inspired by many. Having a camera in hand is generally a conversation starter and door opener. I’ve made friends with farmers and fishermen and many others on different paths. I’ve been invited to dinner by strangers and have been given access to places that are closed to others by being friendly, authentic and respectful. Those relationships, whether brief or longstanding, are blessings.

Many in my life have been angels in disguise

I’ve also met some pretty unique and creative people over the years. One of my favorite people is Dean Lewis, owner of Old Car City USA in White, Georgia. If you’ve never been there, and you love old cars, rust and art in nature (wabi sabi), add it to your bucket list. If you go there, you’ll meet Dean and see what I mean when I say that he is one of the most uniquely creative people I know – from his cup art to the rustic signs throughout Old Car City to what is now his office filled with thousands (yes, thousands and growing) of matchbox cars. I never know what will emerge from his mind into his art with every visit. If I didn’t live eight hours away, I would head down there more often. You have to be able to appreciate eclectic folk art to understand some of the appeal in general. However, as a photographer, the appeal of Old Car City and Dean for me is the unabashed and endless waves of creativity and the endless opportunities to find something to fill my frames. I never tire of Old Car City, and at least an hour of every visit involves a conversation with Dean in his office. If this tells you anything (about him or me), this last time I brought home a few pieces of OCC art in the form of old hubcaps, pine cones and paint. I even made Dean sign them for me.

While Dean is just one among my favorite creatives, I have been blessed to meet and work with so many talented photographers and artists during my over-twenty years as an instructor and workshop leader. New Life Photos (my business) and being a photographer has allowed me to share special places, to inspire and be inspired by others. Photography has enabled me to grow friendships that would not have been possible without that first “real” camera purchased in the face of adversity.

Me and Dean in his evolving office

THANKFUL FOR THE ENCOURAGERS

We don’t walk through this life without people who are willing to walk at least part of the journey beside us, to support and encourage us. These are mutual relationships, not one-sided. While we are encouraged, we also do the same. It’s a partnership. I have been blessed with one solid core group of those people in my family and friends. Without them, I’m not sure what I would be doing now, but it might not have been living the life of a photographer. I have a husband who has travelled with me to many different places to explore and scout. He has held down the fort at home while I am away a week at a time, many times a year, and has not complained. I’ve heard familiar words like “take your time …” in the field and “I’m proud of you” just as often. He has been the cheerleader many do not know. I’m thankful for Jeff.

My Cheerleader

My sister, Mari, is the reason I am able to write my monthly blog when ideas are slow to come. She reads and edits every one of them, often on short notice, and makes them even better. She is another of the cheerleaders you may never know. She, too, is a two-time breast cancer survivor, and her perspectives and thoughts are often similar to mine. She is an all-around encourager. Besides encouraging others, she has a heart for rescuing cats and dogs like no other. Each one brought into her world is loved and blessed for all their lives. She also crochets beautiful blankets for people she knows and doesn’t know. Each one is unique as they are made of “leftover” yarn with love. These days Mari and I share schedules to be able to help my parents, as needed, since we both live the closest to them. We are blessed with flexible schedules. I am thankful for Mari and all of my family as they have been with me through the highs and lows and all the in-between times.

Mari, my sister cheerleader, and my niece, Mikaela

THANKFUL FOR THIS WORLD

Even if I were not a photographer, I cannot imagine not being thankful for the gifts of creation in this world. Nature is food for the soul, God’s handiwork. Miracles abound. Even now, as I write these words in my back patio, I am surrounded by them – plants and flowers that are still hanging on, soft breezes and the sounds of birds chirping and visiting the feeders. The garden is not in the best, most colorful form, but it’s still more than enough and better than being surrounded by four walls.

Because I am a photographer, at least from my perspective, I have learned the value of slowing down and noticing the subtle beauty revealed in the details of nature, even in the shape, color and textures of a single leaf. Because I am a photographer, I put myself in places where beauty in nature abounds. By doing so, I am able to exercise my own seeing skills and creativity to express the awesomeness of whatever is before me. The natural world is filled with great and small opportunities to embrace and celebrate with awe and wonder the beauty before us. I’m thankful for them in every way, with and without a camera.

Graceful beauty in the garden

FINAL THOUGHTS

In the gathering of gratitude and memories shared here, I realize that there are so very many things to be thankful for. None of us have lives without challenges; and, yet, even in the lowest of points, there are blessings. The simple ones are not to be missed. I go back to a smile, a kind word or gesture, to natural beauty that breathes life into our souls, to quiet moments and the end of the day or early morning. Simple things.

I am so very thankful, for everything. As I searched for images to share this month, the miracles, the beauty, the friendships and the love. How very much I would have missed if life had taken a different turn all those years ago. I am and have been truly blessed.

To the ones who are reading these words, to the ones who have been with me on the journey, thank you. My world is better because you are or have been in mine. I appreciate you, even if we haven’t shared a word together in person. Thank you to everyone along the way who has offered a kind word and encouragement. They are appreciated more than you know. Thank you.

Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.

—Henry Ward Beecher

Awe and wonder in the night sky

Waking up with the morning sun

Water’s art in the sand