We Stand Together

Last weekend I spent time in New York City with my older and twin sisters. Since my twin sister was due to have major surgery a few days later, our time together was perceptibly sacred.

Our hotel was packed with students partaking in the Global Classrooms International Model UN Conference. These kids came from all over the world and spoke in a myriad of languages, and walking out into the street was no different. There were hoards of people of all nationalities, religions, races, ages. Going from almost no people in the Outer Banks to swarms of us in the Big Apple could have been startling to me. But I was struck by how whole bodies of people seemed to stand and move together and how they coexisted peacefully with often little to no personal space.

Walking past Bryant Park, I took note of the rows and rows of mixed spring flowers standing close together and blooming, and I deeply inhaled the overwhelming fragrance of the hyacinths.

All Life Breathes Together

This past week I was fortunate to spend a few laid-back days of my spring break at the Outer Banks of North Carolina with my sister-in-law and her friend, while my wonderful and supportive husband stayed home with our boys. Here is a view of the lighthouse from the pier on the Currituck Sound...

...from where we watched the sun set. Donning  my sunglasses and looking at the sun peripherally, I could follow its descent. My camera battery went before the sun's encore of pink and red and orange spread across the expanse of the horizon, but as a result my experience became authentic, through my own lens.

And most mornings I watched the sun rise from our beach house rental in Duck. On my last morning there, the sun saw me off with a spectacular show.

The birds flapped their wings up and down, up and down, and they soared through the sky, showering themselves in the miraculous orange light. If I followed the sun, I could actually see it rising...

...as sure as the ebb and flow of the tide. The sun rises, the sun sets, the tide ebbs, the tide flows, my body inhales, my body exhales. I am blessed.

Daffodils Bloom

Last Sunday morning while grabbing some coffee at Concord Teacakes I found daffodils on sale for $2.50 a bunch. The woman behind the counter gently wrapped them in tissue paper and handed them to me with care and a bright smile. By the next day the flowers were in full bloom. 

Almost one week later the flowers are still brightening our home. Daffodils bloom in hope for the spring and in celebration of life and love. 

Love Trips us Up

Today while hiking the Wetherbee Conservation Land I was tripped up by the tree roots along the path. So after giving them and their owners some attention, this is what they gave me in return. 

The Snow Introduces Us Anew

On Thursday morning I stepped out of our garage into the first snowfall of the winter.

Although the snowfall was minimal by New England standards the snow itself was heavy, weighing down the branches of our Japanese Maple.

By Saturday, the snow still clung to the bare branches, despite the persistent rain. As I walked along the street, I looked up into the trees and found stunning abstract designs, along with hidden messages that I will never decode but that comforted me nonetheless.

The snow introduces us anew to nature, and the resulting silence between us speaks wonders.