Gathering Moments
I have been making an effort to slow down and consider the things around me that really matter. I so easily get stuck in the thick of running from work to dishes to sleep, etc. But I have found by stopping to look at things around me, and by making an effort to consciously gather the moments I experience, it completely changes my perspective. The smallest of things take on new meaning.
We are in the thick of summer time but this evening the weather was not quite so sweltering. It was perfect for a leisurely walk with the dogs. Which is almost unheard of in July in Texas. I saw a hawk on my way to work yesterday. I have been surprised by the kindness of strangers in recent days. A few went out of their way to do something extremely kind when it didn’t benefit them in any way. My mother in law is visiting from Argentina and she is being so patient with my broken Spanish. It’s funny how my husband can disarm me with a mischievous smile, or my dogs melt into my lap and make me infinitely less productive for the day.
It has been a long time since I have posted anything for this project and I feel like some sort of explanation is warranted. The short answer is I have been gathering moments. A lot has happened through the spring and the start of this summer and I am trying to process it all. A dear loved one went through a rough accident and it caused us all to stop in our tracks and reconsider the value of life. As well as how we can be the worst and best to each other. For a time I was working two jobs and then started a new one altogether and it has been a lot.
I honestly feel funny writing those words. I feel like I am supposed to say I can juggle it all and work on a project that has meant so much to me for so many years without letting any of the plates fall. But that would be a lie. I needed to take some time to process and I am learning to pay attention to that.
Do you ever follow celebrities on social media platforms and realize everything they post is staged? I found myself getting frustrated at one point and it took me awhile to figure out why. I think its because I don’t want to see an actress posing in designer clothes with photoshopped models, I want to see pictures of her playing with her kids, and the mess the dog made in the living room. I want to see the mess, not posed pictures, but the regular day to day moments. I want to see something that I can relate to in my own life.
My hope and goal for this project is that it will celebrate stories and moments in all forms - the glamourous, the painful, the mistakes and the celebrations. Real life. Real moments that hopefully make a difference and change our perspective when we stop to consider them.
This is where I am currently. It is not glamorous but it is my real life. I hope this project will always come from a place of honesty and authenticity and that it will foster a community in the same way. I am excited to continue with this project again and I am looking forward to the moments and stories that can grow from it.
Where are you currently? What does life look like from your perspective?