Waves

I went home to visit my family and came across a notebook of poetry I had written years ago. I took one of my favorite ones and decided to rework it a little bit.

Waves

I stand on the shore, waves roll over my feet

Help me forget, make me remember

Crash on the shore without a word

I hear everything I need to hear

Thundering waves pull my thoughts into focus

Wisdom is so accessible near the edge

Sleepy Cat

I was working on my computer one day and I happened to look over at my cat, Jet, sleeping on my bed .

This is one of his favorite places to sleep because he is next to me on a pile of blankets, absorbing the warmth from the sun. The light was perfect for catching his reflection in the window. This is one of my favorite pictures of him. He is a wonderful pet who has brought me so much joy and happiness. It warms my heart that I can make him feel so comfortable.

The Road To Cocoa Beach

This weekend my sisters came up to visit me and we decided to watch the sun rise on Cocoa Beach.

This photo was taken at about 6:00am on the way to Cocoa.

My sister Jennifer on the beach.

The sunrise through Jenny's hands. 

The sun coming up through the beams of the boardwalk. 

At some point my sister caught her finger in the car door. I went down to the 7 Eleven to grab her some ice. I was lucky that she didn't notice me taking this picture. I was able to catch her in a simultanious moment of suffering and relief. I love her quiet inner calm amidst her pain.

I love the look of this photo. It reminds me of one of those cool beach photos from the 70's. The sunlight is streaking over her and she looks completely relaxed. 

I was coming out of the beach and I liked the way my shadow looked against the sand. I grabbed my camera and I was able to capture this shot. I absolutely love it. 

Indian Cat Nap

It's around 4:30 in the afternoon. It is one of those endlessly beautiful fall days. The weather is perfect, the sun is drifting behind the trees, and I've got the window open. Once every so often the breeze flows through the window and over my skin. I'm laying on my bed drifting in and out of sleep. My cat lays next to me curled up in a ball. He sounds like a dove when he is in a deep sleep. I love our little cat naps together.

As I stare out the window my eyelids get heavier. The breeze rustles the leaves in the tree as the sun lights it from behind. A small insect flutters near my window. I am listening to a song called "Panther Panchali" by Ravi Shankar. There is such a magical quality to Indian music.

There is something so freeing and spiritually satisfying about a mid-afternoon nap paired with the ripples of the sitar and the echoes of the flute. The song gets intermittently faster and slower. I like letting myself become inwardly relaxed and energized by the music. Outwardly, the only movement I make is the steady undulating of my chest as I take deep breaths of the cool fall air.

I continue to watch the breeze playfully tussle the insects and the tree leaves. Even without my glasses on I feel like I can see so clearly in this moment. Not only see what is physically there, but also feel and participate in that moment.

My cat stretches and I throw my arms up over my head. I sink into my nest of pillows and blankets.

What a perfect fall day.

The Bee Sting

Last year I went to Epcot with my brother and sister for their birthday. I was enjoying my time with them because now that we are all grown up we rarely have moments like that. We were standing in the Italian Pavilion when my sister, Jenny, got stung by a bee. My brother and I walked her to the first aid station. They gave her and ice pack and some pain killers and we waited in the lobby for her to feel better. That was when I took this picture. 

I know that a lot of people wouldn't take a picture at a time like this, but to me it was another memorable moment from an already memorable day. Looking back at all the photos I took that day this one become my favorite. It was my favorite because it was so honest. 

Jenny sits in the foreground holding her paper cup of water and pressing the ice pack against her neck. Her eyes focus on something across the room to take her mind off the pain. My brother, Jon, sits restlessly in the background. He is bouncing his hat on his knee exposing his messy head of hair. The light pours through the window, blotting out part of the door and illuminating the lobby. It reminds me of one of those photos you see in a National Graphic magazine. The ones where the photographer becomes a fly on the wall and lets the world unfold around them. 

To me photography is about capturing any meaningful moment. And that moment can come at the strangest time. It can also have the most lasting effect.