My father was an avid, photographer. Before he died, he gave me his Nikon camera. The use of his camera reinforces the life lesson he taught me: “pay attention”. I learned from him that the natural world is full of lessons, if only we pay attention.
At first, technical aspects of the camera challenged me. I made mistakes, and I learned about focus, and “depth of focus”: Where you stand, and what you choose to focus in on, makes all the difference. Enter into this picture with me …
In the foreground, where my footsteps stop, is a frosty windblown dune. On the left, stands a wooden fence, partially toppled. What lies beyond, is not in focus. The field of focus is not deep enough for us to view beyond the frozen sand dune. A more expansive picture might clearly reveal a stormy sea, with waves crashing onto shoreline.
Beyond this moment, this present day “storm”, we do not know what lies beyond. What we know from experience is that storms pass, though the landscape may be changed by them. If we narrow our focus, we might notice just what is right in front of us, this day. That’s enough. So, “pay attention”. Breathe deeply. Now is the time to be still. Go within. Pay attention to your breath, and you might even notice the beauty within this storm.
Where you stand makes all the difference in what you see and experience.
o Look out a window- What do you see? What does it speak to you?
o Close your eyes and imagine yourself on the beach, in a forest, or in your favorite spot in nature. What do you hear, see, smell, feel?
o What can you learn from nature?
o Try writing a Haiku, which is a form of concise poetry. Haiku can distill an experience into three lines: The first line is 5 syllables; the second line is seven syllables and the third line is five syllables. Share it with someone?
May the memory of sun and sand soothe your spirit, and song of spring birds be your delight.