I’ve been thinking lately about people in my life who’ve influenced and shaped the person I’ve become.
There’s this great group of people I’ve met through a photo workshop in Hawaii. Some of them live there year-round, and some of us make regular pilgrimages there. We’ve become “ohana” - family - to one another. We have a Facebook group where we stay connected by sharing photos, writing and life events during the times when we are not together. Two weekends ago, there was a false alarm about an incoming missile heading to Hawaii, which prompted me to think of my friends, what an impact they’ve had on me, and that I’ve not really thanked them for that. What if I had missed my chance? So I did it - I thanked them in what some would call a mushy Facebook post. I’m looking forward to seeing them again and thanking them in person. Who are the people who helped shape and form the person who you are? Have you told them what they mean to you and thanked them? What if you miss your chance? I’ve been thinking about gravity lately. What prompted it were these boxes. I was working out, doing my leg exercises, and there were three wooden boxes neatly arranged against the wall. The two shorter boxes were on their sides to take up less space, and the largest one was sitting flat on the floor. I wondered, “Could I still jump high enough to land on top of the biggest box?” You can imagine how that led to pondering gravity - both the effect of gravity on that effort, and the gravity of the situation, if I failed to stick the landing. Gravity seems to have more of a grip on me as I’m aging. It feels harder to get up off the floor, to pick up things I’ve dropped, even to roll over in bed. Why is that? When I was a child, I skipped, jumped, and hopped my way through the day with never a thought about what held me down to earth. Now I have to think about whether or not I want to risk having both feet off the ground at the same time. Then there’s the other meaning of gravity - serious or critical in nature. The issues facing the world today seem to have more gravity. Fingers on the nuclear buttons, false missile warnings in Hawaii, looming government shutdowns - everything feels heavier, more weighty. What do you think? How is gravity affecting you these days? Oh, those boxes? I didn’t try it…yet. If you enjoyed this post, please explore my book, Following the Bread Crumbs. www.shirleyweyrauch.com/book.html |
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Shirley K. WeyrauchI love reading, writing, and photography! Spending time with my family and friends around the kitchen table is about the best occasion I know. I'm just beginning to stretch my creative wings, so here's to gentle breezes and clear skies. Archives
May 2021
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