Thought for the Day: 5 April 2017

These words speak to me of love and parting, of tender affection and memories. It might relate to romantic love but it could also describe a dear friendship, and implies a closeness,  a gentleness; a relationship that the author will always remember with fondness.

I have been clearing out a spare room and going through old paperwork and small treasures from my past, and I came across this poem on the back of a card given to me by a good friend almost thirty years ago.

With the benefit of age and wisdom (I hope), time, perspective and hindsight – I think it’s fair to say that I appreciate the sentiment in this poem so much more now than I did then. I have an appreciation of the gentle tone the author has used, the tenderness of the affection expressed, and the softness or weightlessness of the language – like a description of the touch of a feather, or the texture of silk. I appreciate the sense I have of an impending separation without the need to specify the facts; the reference to how someone might be perceived from an earlier chapter of one’s life.

Looking back, it was a beautiful verse to be given, and I feel honoured to have been held in such regard.

And today the words are still beautiful and I just wanted to share them with you. I guess it’s always good to take a few moments every now and then to appreciate those who have come and gone from our lives, and to appreciate and be grateful for those who remain.

 

Thought for the day: 1 April 2017

When you’re a child it’s hard to imagine living for 70 or 80 years. It’s almost incomprehensible. Such a long, long time.  And yet as we age the time seems to pass by so fast, with every year flying by at a speed greater than the previous one. So I love the analogy of life being like a snowflake – melting in our hands – so beautiful, unique and delicate – which melts so quickly and then it’s gone. And all we have left is a little water!

Sometimes I feel as if the thread of life is so fragile, so tenuous and delicate. Even people who seemed like Corinthian columns in my life, infallible and dependable, have sometimes been swept away too soon and just like everyone else, had their lives snuffed before I was ready for them to go.

Given that we don’t know what’s around the corner, wouldn’t it be a shame to find out you had little time left and had missed out on doing some of those things you’d always wanted to do, missed out on fulfilling some of your dreams?

Today’s reminder is to make the most of today; to live in this moment; to begin (or continue) doing those things you really want to do – the things which give you a sense of pleasure or fulfillment; the things that make your face smile and your heart sing.

A Gentle Reminder

The following is a gentle reminder to anyone who has suffered from depression or other mental health issues. It’s a reminder that we do indeed have the power to make decisions about our lives – regardless of whether those decisions are big or small – we have the power to make our own choices.

There have been times when I have felt like I haven’t had a choice; that life’s decisions have been taken out of my hands; that I was no longer in control. But this is a gentle reminder that that’s a lie. It might be a good lie, a tempting lie but it is NOT the truth.

Because we do have choices.

And at any given point, I can make a choice about my life. I can change the direction I’m heading in, or the look, the colours or the tone of my story. I have a choice.

It never rains but it … blows

So in Wellington this week we have had a significant earthquake, followed by something in the vicinity of 1600 aftershocks. While this brought about mayhem in the central business district due to damage, this was followed by a LOT of rain and consequently flooding and more aftershocks.  This morning is bright and sunny (yay!) but unfortunately not supposed to last as another weather event is on it’s way, currently hitting the middle of the South Island and due to reach us this afternoon/evening bringing heavy rain and southerly gale-force winds with a severe weather watch having been issued for much of the central South Island through to central North Island.

OK, so it’s been an interesting week so far… but as I previously said, we have so much to be grateful for and things could have been so much worse than they were. Feeling positive and optimistic, I’ll leave you with some happy photos from around my city.

                                                                                            

 

 

Freedom

lone seagull marks the passage of distance and time

as one day stretches – fluidly – into another

transparent transition

on the arbitrary continuum we call time

 

the seagull knows no minutes, no miles,

only endless space

infinite seclusion in life’s magnificent wilderness

this latitude – his very own portion of eternity

isolated, calm, content, at ease

continuous forward motion

the thrill of the avian arrow

joyous solitude, alive and purposeful

living the aspiration we call

freedom

My Coastline – Dawn & Dusk: March 2016

Easter greetings fellow bloggers – March hasn’t been a good month for blogging but it has been a good month for taking photos and for walking. I have done a LOT of walking this month. I’m still job hunting (sigh!) but this is interspersed with much exercise (to keep my mental health in perspective) and the exercise has been awesome. It’s also got me out and about and appreciating my environment. So while I am loosing enthusiasm for job hunting (but still working at it), the product has been some photos that I can look back at and enjoy. And I’m probably fitter and healthier than I have been for some time – so that’s great. Enjoy!