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

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.

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!

Bleeding Hearts at Night

It was night and I was turning out the lights to go to bed when I thought about the flowers in the vase on the table. All the beauty of those flowers still exists once the light is gone – but we just can’t see it. Giving into the temptation to take a few more photos before bed. I set up my camera on a tripod on the table, selected a long exposure, and then “painted” the flowers with a flashlight. The effect was moving – the beauty of the flowers complimented the night’s darkness.

Forget-Me-Not

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We like things to be permanent. We put photos behind glass, and other items in glass cabinets. Meanwhile, the world around us is able to let go of yesterday and generates beauty on an ongoing basis. These flowers are now long gone. While I pause and take satisfaction in the way this photo has made the flowers permanent, the natural world focuses on creating the next batch of flowers.

Dandilion Field

Morning Glory

Loving Embrace

Queen Anne's Lace in Evening

Bee Close Up

Bees in Crocus

Bee in Flower

Lily Up Close

Flower in Hand

Into the flower

This photo gives me a sense of how the flower must look to a bee. For you and me, a flower is a small item to be admired from a distance, but to some creatures entering it, it must seem to be an entire world.