Light And Shadow

I've been shooting photos as I've had the chance and lately there has been a lot of contrast in them. Light and shadow; color and neutral. I began thinking how this is sort of like life, and people, in general......
As above with the violet leaves, some people are able to glow deeply through any adversity. They seek that bright spot of light and grow. They are troopers. Their zest for life is infectious. 

Some are protected quite well but can only produce a single bloom. When the petals fall, they stand surrounded by what will envelope them and seldom seem to notice.
Rather than blossoming abundantly they limit themselves to one shot, and occasionally not even that. Their buds are nipped from a stray frost, they are swallowed from bound roots of their own making. The leaves close; the fruit withers.

Some are like the photo above, which for the most part describes my friends~~full, exuberant, putting joy into the world and just exploding with the delight of life. A group that, brought together, make a fragrant and exceptional addition to the path we all walk. (I would hope these for anyone!)
The brave, busting out even in the cold, they live their life in a state of grace. Their happiness is contagious. 

Those who seem to flourish the most beautifully may live in rocky soil, and never complain. They are so deeply grounded that all one sees is the delight of the blossom. Quiet and true, they don't intentionally draw undue attention nor intrude.
They just love.
Always.
Deeply.

And then there is me.....the stem that bends with the wind. Accepting the change and still standing, even as parts of the *old me* are gently being peeled away, flying off, not to be seen again.
But the root here is so deep~~blooms will come again.
Through sun and rain, hot and cold.
Waiting patiently with my face to the sky.
Happy in simplicity.
Wrapped in the tall grass.
Warmed by the sun.


Pax....