When someone notices . . .

"Well it's alright, doing the best you can"

-End of the Line  (Traveling Wilburys)

Saturday we drove to see the college girl to help her out with a few things, we were gone all day. And by all day I mean we pulled into the driveway at midnight, barley awake.

Sunday morning, after a few errands, my husband went to the mailbox to get the mail. He said there were two postcards, one addressed to him and one to the football boy. Both written on the same kind of postcard.

The one for my husband was from our boy. A very sincere note about how he felt he was successful, always working hard, finding the good in our family . . . and how he has never felt denied of anything. Now you have to understand, there have been some really tough times in our family, like many families. And during those times its hard enough sometimes to get what you need let alone what you want. So it was very touching, and a tribute to the character of our boy ( to both our kids really ) to say that he has never felt denied, even when we could't give them some of things we thought they should have.

The one addressed to our son had this written on it:

"You have been through so many hard times in your life with your health and you never gave up. You kept going in your school grades and your activities. You never show you're hurt or sick, and you always keep going." Signed by a friend in his English class.

In fact, this was an English assignment. To write to someone who you think fits R. W. Emerson's definition of success. Which is, "To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."

(For those of you visiting for the first time or new followers, this link will help you understand better what his friend means by the hard times with his health)

His friend could have sent this to anyone...his parents, anyone. But, he chose to send it to my boy! And as his mom (as his parents) we know this, we see his humility and his kindness and his choice to be happy despite what life continues to throw at him. And it makes my heart happy that someone else noticed too. That he can know that while most people his age won't say it, they see him doing the best that he can. To know that he can be an example to others who are or may go through something really hard, that if you keep the right attitude, that if you make it a choice to be happy, that well, life will be alright when you're doing the best that you can.

Snail mail has nearly become something of the past these days, and reading these two postcards has reminded me to never underestimate the power of the written word or telling someone else just how much they have inspired you. 

What a great English assignment....I have some postcards of my own to send! Because who wants to get to the end of the line and have any regrets. Either with what you didn't say or how you didn't live.

Love, Kim

Texture Tuesday, Sweet Shot Tuesday, Song-ography, Roses of Inspiration

You don't have to go far . . .

to find . . . 

Inspiration

something to quiet the mind

things that are ordinary

and beautiful

things right outside your front door

bubbles and reflections in a water fountain

flowers and petals that have dropped to the ground

a fern growing in between timbers used at a table at my nursery without dirt

water drops hanging on to the dried pine that dropped from the trees

beautiful, simple things

that remind you that there is so much to see

when we really look

things that make you slow down

take notice

and give thanks for right here, and now

[p.s. can I ask a favor? my boy has some blood work next week at his infusion. his

red blood cell count has been elevated and it needs to come down or he may have

to have some more extensive tests. Will you pray with us that it goes down to normal? xo]

Have a wonderful weekend, and stay warm!

Love, Kim

sharing with Friday Finds, Little Things Thursday

Life seeking life . . .

I have at times called myself a finder of things and a seeker of light. Sometimes I'm not sure if I'm finding things or if they are finding me, or maybe it's because on some days I have just enough courage to show up and we somehow meet in the middle.

The truth is, I don't always... have the courage to show up, that is. Sometimes showing up is just plain hard.

And about that light, it's not so much what comes from the rays of the sun or that golden hour, but what comes from His light. What I'm seeking is that light in all things. That deep spiritual connection that illuminates the path that on occassion can feel like it's traveled in the darkness.

This summer I feel like I lost my way a bit. The path just didn't feel as illuminated, not because the light wasn't there, because His always is....but because even though I looked I just couldn't see through the noise. My focus was off and my depth of field was too narrow.

I felt helpless.

I felt quiet.

I felt a little angry.

I felt a little sad.

I felt a little numb.

I was distracted.

As I mentioned in June, my sweet boy ended up in the hospital due to an abscess from a staff infection on his face. IV antibiotics and a plastic surgeon to drain it. But all that inflammation, well, it doesn't go away overnight and neither does the scarring. And after this last year and a half with his diagnosis of a rare form of juvenile arthritis, a heart scare, a bone marrow biopsy, a rare leg bleed and this . . . it's just a lot for a parent to process let alone a 17 year old.

We got home he didn't go anywhere this summer...I mean anywhere!

Not out with us,
not with friends,
not to strength and conditioning,
not to get his hair cut,
no where.

It's so very hard to watch your child try to navigate a chronic illness let alone the territory of being a teenager. It's so very hard as a mom, a parent, even if I'm not a control freak to not be able to make it better.

Yeah, that realization that I. can't. make. it. better.

Suddenly I found myself not wanting to go many places, even places that he wouldn't have gone anyway. Because it just didn't feel right for him to be home by himself.

I didn't write,
I didn't edit,
I rarely made it to my computer.

And then it happened. A couple of friends would stop by, then he went fishing and then football started. And little by little I saw glimpses of him returning to his old self. And just like that I felt my heart grow three sizes.

And yesterday, something clicked for me. I can't explain it really. I don't even know if this will make any sense. It was chapter 9, Life Seeking Life, in the book God Is at Eye Level.

I was at Starbucks...{I hadn't been inside all summer with my books and journal.} I found myself nodding my head, feeling like she had eavesdropped on my thoughts. How she is drawn into the pulse and heart beat of the world around her and to its pain and heart wrenching passions, and how she cries, in joy, at the things she witnesses.

Yes, yes, and yes.

She went on to tell the story of  a day when she was taking photographs along a wooden boardwalk when she heard what she thought were footsteps. When she finally turns to look it's a fawn that had been following her and when she reached out he put his sweet nose into her hand. By this time I'm starting to pack up because I feel a good cry coming on.

...deep breath

Here she was out looking for life and it found her! And you know what? That happened to me all summer, with the dragonflies especially. I may have been distracted by some of the noise that I probably created for myself, maybe even a roadblock, but was awake enough to witness those slivers of light. Literally, as it danced across their wings....like the stars light up the night.

Our creator places these things in our paths in hopes that we will take notice, that we will pay attention and send it back out into the world. We are to be receivers and givers. We just have to listen with our eyes and our hearts through all the clutter or we'll miss it.

Life seeking life...that totally happened from my front porch. Photography is like "home sweet home" when our hearts are aligned with spirit, present in the moment at hand, open to the wonder of it all.

Dragonfly Abstract

"The edge of light"

Hallelujah, I think I'm back!
Houston, we have a safe landing . . .

Love, Kim


sharing with Little Things Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things, Friday Finds

Photo-heart connection, number 4

I don't know about you, but I love the movie, "Finding Nemo",
there are so many great lessons . . . and from a fish no less.

Dory says to Marlin (Nemo's father) . . .

"Do you know whatcha gotta do when life gets you down? Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, Just keep swimming swimming swimming."

I took this photo last weekend at my favorite place, Maas Nursery. It's part of their new "blue room". But little did I know that this week I would feel a lot more like this little blue fish, going against the current being chased by something bigger.

Even more so, I'm sure my son feels like that fish too . . .going against the current, chased by some big mean fish and wondering why, why did it single him out.

You see, we got a call from the doctor yesterday that his inflammation marker has gone back up to 20 times what it should be. It means that this was not a one time thing that would eventually just go away, possibly caused by an infection as we had hoped. It now means a change of medication that comes along with a new set of risks, and more frequent visits to the doctor. And it now means we pray for a remission.

As a parent I feel somewhat helpless (okay a lot) . . . I can't change the direction of the current and I surely can't stop the big mean fish that is chasing him. All I can do is be there to support him, love and comfort him. But maybe more importantly be an example of perseverance and of not giving up and of having continued hope through faith in God.

Scripture tells me to find joy in my trials and to let it be an opportunity, James 1:3, "For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow."  He doesn't want me to find joy in suffering, mine or my son's, or my family's but rather to rejoice because He is using life's difficulties to build our character. To help soften our hearts and to give us compassion towards others that find themselves in similar situations. Trials bring us humility and a bigger awareness of who is really in control.

I also know, that God does not cause suffering, but will use it to create something good from it.

I have a choice to see the glass half full or half empty, to stand on the ledge and wonder when I will fall off  or accept the peace and endurance that only comes by trusting in God. 

Today I choose to just keep swimming, swimming, swimming!

Love, Kim

XO

Sharing with Little Things Thursday, Thursdays Favorite Things, Friday Photo Journal, 

Finding Serendipity  {1440}, Photo-Heart Connection, Favorite Photo Friday

Photo-heart connection, number 1

"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes."

- Arthur Conan Doyle

{ Pixel Dust Photo Art texture warm glow }

Choosing my photo-heart connection this month has proved to be a little difficult,  not because I wasn't connecting, but instead because I was having too many. I simply went back and forth and round and round. But I can say that they all had something in common in that they were all from the same experience.

We've had quite a few foggy mornings recently and one day after dropping off the kids at school, I went home, grabbed my camera and headed to a park with a pond, and wetlands and wide open spaces. The fog was heavy and thick and the visibility was extremely low. I got out of my car and and made the decision to walk towards the field in the dew laden and muddy grass. There was something about that field that felt curious and mysterious and when I finally came to its edge I could see it too was lit up by dewdrops . . where spiderwebs came to life, appearing like miniature strings of twinkling lights.

That foggy morning was beautiful and peaceful and also helped to isolate the things around me, but in a good way. The fog allowed only the things right in front of me to become more obvious, my senses were heightened, and I became a keen observer. But sometimes in life we can become so caught up in things that don't matter that it causes a blanket of fog that prevents us from seeing the obvious, the necessary, the really important things.

This image just reminds me to be aware, to observe, and to keep life simple.

Love, Kim

XO

Sharing with This and That Thursday, Little Things Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things,

Cool-Clicks Thursday, Photo Art Friday, Friendship Friday, Friday Photo Journal, 

Finding Serendipity {1440}  

It. Is. Possible.

I never did get around to sharing my word last year...it was explore.

The year before...was discovery.

That year of discovery, of self, is what propelled me into exploring.

No I didn't go on any safari, or around the world trip, or climb Mt. Everest.

But I explored....I simply explored what was around me, what came before me, the

things that interested me. I wanted to be fearless in my exploring or at least attempt

the fearlessness of it. To not be afraid to do that which expressed the passion in my heart

whether it was photography, or not.

I wanted to be fearless not because of the destination in the exploring, but simply because of the journey.

I'm not sure how fearless I was, and I'm not sure I'm ready to let go of that word just yet.

But I did wade through 20 feet of seaweed to find a frog fish among who knows what else, and came

face to face (well almost) to a water moccasin, and stared down a stingray two feet in front of me.
I have pictures of all three.

This all leads me to my word this year....

I already had a good idea of what my word for this year would be, and I knew for sure

after we took my son to a camp last week.

We left the day after Christmas, bright and early, for Brownswood Texas in route for a pole vault camp.

This vole vaulting idea, which he has never done before, came into play when my husband found out that

the school record is only 9 feet. And after some discussion and encouragement, my son decided he would like to give it a try.

We arrived at the camp, and after a short video and introduction we followed my son to the gym

as he walked holding a pole in his hand for the very first time.

Run...plant...takeoff. We all listened as the coach talked about these three important parts to a successful jump and well, they probably apply to most things in life. In this gym, Coach Don Hood, said these things..."How do you become great? You work your tail off and pay attention. The most important part is the beginning, because if the beginning is wrong then the end can't be right. You can't be aggressive unless you are confident and you can't be confident unless you have done it 1000 times. Greatness comes at a high price. If you want to be great at something, it means you can't do everything."

He would know, he is now 80 and has coached world and Olympic champions.

  Start, curl, press . . . and toe, flat, jump was drilled over and over, a thousand times. I had no idea that this was such a very precise event. I don't think he did either. In fact I learned the pole vault is the most technical of all athletic events and the biggest obstacle is your mind as it goes against everything that is natural.

Running in a full on sprint, with a very long pole (a controlled run while holding a pole I might add), slamming planting said pole into a box while being propelled over a bar. Yes, there is definitely some physics at work here with kinetic and gravitational potential energy. To the observer pole vaulting may seem fairly simple, it's anything but simple. 

As the first day progressed (over 10 hours), I wasn't seeing joy in his face. I could see his heart wasn't wholeheartedly into it. It was hard, it was technical, and there were no instantaneous results. They wouldn't even jump over a bar until the end of the next day. 

We have taught our kids to stick with what they start, but as a parent it was hard to see him just go through the motions if he wasn't loving it. I wanted him to do it for himself, to want it for himself. If we had decided not to go back, we certainly wouldn't have been the first as they said a lot of them don't come back the next day. But we did go back, and I told my son that after that second day if it really wasn't his thing it was okay if he didn't want to continue it, at least he would've tried. But I did ask him a favor. I asked him since we were already there to make it the most important thing that day. To just see what would happen.

(Coach is in the background)

We took a lunch break. He was tired, his hands hurt and there was still some discussion about leaving early, but they still had not done the actual pole vaulting, the thing they were working so hard for. So back for more drills, and some more motivational coaching, and then it was time to put those new skills to the test. My son was unsure about clearing the pole, I was confident he would.

They set it up as a contest and there were about 8 or 9 of them, with my son being the only first time jumper.

They set the bar to 6 ft, and he cleared it with room to spare. It got progressively higher until they reached 8 ft. (photo below).

And do you see what I see, a smile, joy in his face as he cleared the 8 ft mark!!
(and he won the contest!)

The joy wasn't only in his face, but in my heart. Watching him try something new, something hard. It wouldn't have mattered to me if he didn't clear the pole, what mattered is that he didn't give up. What mattered is that he learned something. And I can say that after almost 20 hours in two days that I learned some things in the process too. Yes greatness comes at a high price and that's not only true of athletes, but in life in general. And as the coach reminded us all, if greatness was that easy we would all be great.

(Photo Friday is back! The theme was using our chosen word and represented in a photo)

I'm proud of my son for sticking with it even though he wasn't sure he enjoyed it. Sometimes when
we are learning hard things they aren't enjoyable. Watching my son reminded me that you don't know what you can do until you try and that you don't always see the results of your hard work right away. That it's sometimes not until that last hour, that last stretch when we see the fruits of our hard work, a glimpse of our own greatness and of our possibilities.

This year I don't just want to know about the possibilities, I want to believe them possible.

"What we can or cannot do, what we consider possible or impossible, is rarely
a function of our true capacity. It is more likely a function of our beliefs about who we are."
- Anthony Robbins 

Thank you for sticking to the end here,
Love, Kim
XO


Sharing with Photo Art Friday, Friday Photo Journal, One Word Blog Hop

Photo-heart connection, number XI

This photo is not me . . . 

. . .  but it very well could be, and although I have no idea what she is thinking . . . I see deep thought

in the way she stands, contemplation as she stares into the distant horizon.

No, this is not me, but it may as well be.

I'm a deep thinker and I do quite like my quiet time to let my mind wander where it can or should. To

dream or just be. But for me there is a fine line between solitude and contemplation. Between feeling

peaceful and lonely.

  I've crossed over that line.  Too much thinking has made me second guess some things lately (yes, think pity party). As someone who doesn't get paid for my photography or the time it takes me to write and share my thoughts, there are days when I wonder why - why I continue to do it. But I surely don't know if at this point I could just stop either. I've thought about it - seriously thought about just walking away from the computer. Calling it done.

And here is where my truth comes in, and my insecurity. It's really about expectations, about what someone might say, or the fact that they didn't say anything at all.

But here is the thing...when I started blogging, I came here without those expectations, and for the very act

of sharing. I didn't even know what to expect. Somewhere along the line the expectation that wasn't, grew into one big expectation that by being here others would just show up and have something to say.

And then, this past week doing a Google search for what I can't remember, I came across an audio by Guy Finley, and it was as if he was speaking directly to me . . . 

He was talking about preparing for a banquet which really could be a metaphor for just about anything in

my life that I prepare for in advance. He was talking about preparing for a banquet and not having anyone show up. And isn't that always such a fear - I know it is for me - preparing for something,

taking the time and to have no one come.

And then what he said next, was like sliding down a slide with my name on it into a brick wall. He said, "The first one who celebrates the banquet is the one who prepares it." That the real preparation is the sacrifice that precedes the banquet. And he went on to say, "So the one who prepares the banquet whether or not anyone appears for it, if they have truly prepared something for the sake of the goodness of the preparation and the sacrifice involved, then such a person has lost nothing, in fact they have gained something whether or not it's attended."   

OH MY!! That completely spoke to ME!  And the more I thought about it the more I realized that it's in the process of taking photographs, of my thinking, and in my writing as well as in the sharing - that it IS in these exercises I do, that I grow as an artist, and as a person, whether or not they are seen or read.


Love, Kim
XO

{P.S.- The entire audio is a little under 7 minutes}
Sharing with Communal Global, Sweet Shot Tuesday, Tones on Tuesday

To love, accept and appreciate . . .

"One of the most satisfying experiences I know is just to fully appreciate

an individual in the same way I appreciate a sunset....I don't find myself

saying, "Soften the orange a little more on the right hand corner, and put a

bit more purple along the base, and use a little more pink in the cloud color,"

 . . . I don't try to control the sunset. I watch it in awe as it unfolds."

- Carl R Rogers

{A huge thank you to my kids for getting up extra early to allow me to witness this incredible sunrise}

 

It would be freeing wouldn't it, to just accept and be accepted for who we are.

To love and be loved unconditionally simply for no other reason than because we are human.

I mean, isn't that what we all strive for in this life anyway, above all else, to be loved?

And to belong? To not have to compromise our beliefs just to fit in?


I think when we allow for a mutual exchange of our experiences and knowledge and of how we

all see things, it will teach us respect, understanding and empathy towards each other.

It is, in these things that I believe we will find unity in our humanity, and love for our neighbor.

Because there is no hope for humanity without tolerance, no hope of love without first loving.

The intolerance I see growing simply breeds hate, hate destroys hope and without hope we become a world

full of despair and filled with fear. And fear is crippling. Maybe more like paralyzing  . . . going

neither forward nor backward.


And hasn't history shown us over and over again that action needs to accompany wisdom,

because without it, it serves no purpose at all. It serves no one, not even ourselves.

To be loved, accepted and appreciated, we first need to find a way to love, accept and appreciate those

around us where they are, and for who they are. Not for who we want them to be.


Every sunrise is different and unique and no two are ever the same. We don't expect them to be the same.

In fact it would be inconceivable to think we could change a sunrise. And why would we want to?

Yet we have all at one time, probably thought we could change someone else, maybe even the way they 

think. And who are we to think we should? I have seen a lot of sunrises and I admit there have been times

when I was disappointed because it wasn't what I thought it would be, or should be, or what I had hoped.

Because of my unrealistic expectations, I blinded myself to what was before me.  And I asked myself that

scary question, "How many times have I done that with others?"


Over the last 4 years I have had the opportunity to develop a bond with nature in a way that has taught me

many things. Nature's biggest secret . . . is her patience. She has a rhythm, nothing is rushed, and everything

has a purpose. So do we. So do the people that cross our paths, it is simply not our job to change them.

My wish is that we could learn to embrace and accept our differentness. And when we get past the

expectations, then we will begin to see and appreciate the incredible things about those around us unfold in

awe as well.


Because perhaps, just maybe, we are all different because we were not meant to be the same!


Love, Kim
XO


Sharing with Texture Tuesday, Sweet Shot Tuesday, Communal Global

Photo-heart connection, number IX

{KK warm sun, overlay}

Gathering . . . doesn't it always seem that society, and our culture wants us to be illusioned

into feeling the need to gather things. Things that break, and need dusting.  A bigger house and a bigger yard, mean more up keep, or money to pay someone else to do it. Things, that just suck away all of our time. Time we could be spending on gathering not things, but simply that of experience and memories and of time with each other.

  I grew up close to my grandfather, who grew up in the great depression. They had to rent out their house and live in their garage to survive the times. You carry that with you later in your life, and as I grew up and spent time with him, I watched him use envelopes from the mail as notepaper for grocery lists, and mark the dates on can goods, etc. He didn't know it, but he was a recycler well before his time.  I have carried some of that with me too, and once I have gathered something, it's much harder for me to ungather it. I am always thinking I may need it later.

But this image reminds me of what I want to gather in my life right now and that isn't trinkets for my home, or for a closet full of things I can't wear in this lifetime, or for things that make me a slave to time. I want to gather the simple moments of life like watching a butterfly lay eggs in the garden, or watching the sunrise, or feeling the sand beneath my feet and making memories with my family and friends. The things I want to gather now do not need the aid of a basket, just my presence.

Love, Kim

XO

P.S. - Today I am over at Focusing on life introducing our new theme for the month of October.

Come check it out, and join in on the fun in our flickr group for a chance to be the weekly InFocus

selection featured on our blog!

Sharing with, Communal Global, Sweet Shot Tuesday, Texture Tuesday,

As the world turns . . .

{Galveston Bay sunrise, 6:26 A.M.}

Each morning as the dawn breaks

we all start with the same amount,

and it can be a challenge to manage it well.

It is a gift,

that some use wiser than others

because we simply take it for granted,

and are seldom thankful enough for it.

And although it unfolds right before our eyes,

it can not be seen or touched.

But even though we can't hold it in our hands,

the memories gathered from it can be held in our hearts.

Some always seem pressed for it,

but it requires some patience

as it can not be rushed.

We race against it, we run out of it,

and some try to buy, borrow and even kill it.

But it is a non-renewable resource

worth its weight in gold,

meant to be used in the present,

and can not be sold.

Its only requirement

is that we be here, now.

That we celebrate and not squander it,

and that we not wish it away on the future

to spite today.

Because once we waste it

it can't be turned around.

But make no mistake, it waits for no one.

It will go on without us, guaranteed, time after time. . .

- Kim

I made it to the bay this week twice to watch God paint with his many brushes. And to think that millions

of people world-wide are sleeping, unaware of the beauty, the artistry that goes on without them. When we first moved here to the gulf I thought people just had to be crazy to want to live so close to a body of water that can cause so much destruction during a hurricane season. But I have come to understand the pull it can have on you, the addiction to want more. There is something incredible about watching the sun rise, and it's not just the beauty of it, but the reminder that time does not stand still, that it waits for no man. So I'm sharing some pictures from the sunrise just yesterday morning and how time changes, and sometimes it is so subtle that unless we take the time of day, we don't even take notice.

6:33 A.M

6:34 A.M.

6:41 A.M.

6:56 A.M.

6:56 A.M. {photograph life, looking up at the sky}

7:06 A.M.

7:18 A.M.

This was later on in the afternoon . . .

{Textured with Pixel Dust Photo Art age it, and painterly}

And lastly my Flower Art Friday submission, using Kim Klassen's Oh My, and Red.

{shoot.edit.submit}

"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely

in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke,

thoroughly used up, worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow, what a ride!"

- Hunter S. Thompson

Time, it's that one thing we can't save, that must be used.

As the world turns we get 1440 minutes a day, how are you going to use yours?

Make it a great day!

Love, Kim

XO

       

Photo-heart connection, number VII

We do not live life in the big picture,

we live it moment by moment in the small details.

It was on our vacation in Florida that I captured this. He was walking with his mom, it was

early morning and quite overcast, and on the verge of raining. And as little boys do, he stopped often to check things out along the way. That is until this moment,  when he stopped and very purposely went and stood in the surf. I remember it like it was 5 minutes ago. The way the air smelled and the sound of the crashing waves, the beautiful reflections in the sand, and the misty pastel like colors of the morning all etched into my memory.

But most of all I remember that there was intention in how he stood. His body language gave way to what seemed like much thought and contemplation with some wonder and awe.

I wondered what he was thinking, what he was feeling. What made him go and just stand there.

But perhaps it was just that, the sounds, the smell, the entirety of it. And because he is a small child and most likely does not yet live in the big picture, he was just simply enjoying the moment in a way a child

does . . . naturally, unconsciously,  and moment by moment.

This image reminds me how of important it is not to let that inner child in me grow up too much. Because really, what good is the big picture if there are no details, no pauses to look back on.   

Love, Kim

XO

P.S. - I would love for you to join me over at my collaborative blog today, Focusing On Life,

as I'm sharing a little confession.

 

And so it begins . . .

They say life begins at fifty.
First, who are "they" and what have they been doing up 'til now?

Yep, it happened, just as planned  . . .  the big five-OH!

And when I went to sleep a few nights ago, I awoke in the morning to find

that I had not at the stroke of midnight, turned into a pumpkin!

In fact, I feel no different then I did the day before.

"Age is an issue of mind over matter.

If you don't mind it doesn't matter."

-Mark Twain

{ Kim Klassen texture "Portrait" }

Nothing has changed except the number. 

I still love pink....

And watching the sunrise...

And my favorite coffee is still Texas Pecan with french vanilla creamer.

But, I do wonder why we don't craft more of an appreciation for the process of getting older, because

I think the very resistance of it just may be the thing that ages us. I mean with age comes experience and with experience comes wisdom, something we certainly gain more of, and unlike when we were younger we

actually now know what we're talking about. And as I've gotten older I have realized there are certain opportunities for exploration and self-discovery that only comes later in life.

And how does it feel to be 50?

Like thirty with twenty extra years of wisdom, understanding, spirituality and an ever growing comprehension of how big this life really is. Okay, definitely minus the size 5, but with a new sense of what sexy is, and isn't. I find myself wanting to move in the world with a greater sense of urgency as time whispers louder, and I'm having fun re-inventing myself with along the way. 

No, nothing has changed except the number. Age doesn't own me or define me. It doesn't tell me whether or not I can have pink highlights or wear feathers in my hair, it only marks how long I've been here.

I am 50, I don't mind, so it doesn't matter!! 

Have a fabulous day!

Love, Kim

XO

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