Always a View

Spring is easily my most favorite time of the year. Naturally, it’s just beautiful and a fresh reminder that the hardships of life (winter) always leave us eventually. Life is a cycle. Sometimes is feels like the good times always will bring good times and the bad times will always bring bad times. But, when we pan out and look at our lives as a whole, we can then more easily see how much progress we’ve made over time. If we’re too caught up in our emotions in a single moment, we may easily forget how much we’ve learned over time.

Despite spring being a great season, I couldn’t just find joy in spring or I would feel somewhat unhappy during the other three seasons of the year. There’s always something really lovely to be found at every location, and any time of the year. I realize that photography has helped me to keep an eye out for beauty in unexpected places.

I recently went on a family vacation with my in-laws. Despite a busy schedule, I always try to write a blog every day and take a unique photo that correlates with the story, whether directly or abstractly. While I was a bit tight on time, I decided to just shoot photography within my own hotel room, and the view from the balcony. The result was the photos I’ve used for my last three blogs. While most people would find photography inside a hotel to be challenging, it was fun for me to push myself and pay attention to what ordinary things I would normally overlook, but actually made for photogenic material.

Life is quite the same in regards to overlooked beauty. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve ignored beautiful flowers on walks around my neighborhood. It’s easy for me to be lost in my own thoughts, plans, and various daydreams. While I’m thinking that I’m planning for something bigger and better, I easily miss the small little pleasures that make life really great, comfortable, and enjoyable.

Today, while I was exiting to go out to the mart with my wife, I passed by an elderly woman on my way out the elevator. I see her often these days and I always have noticed how positive she is and the energy she puts out. She was smelling some flowers she had just picked and was waiting by the elevator to bring into her apartment. Her face looked so pleased, happy and content, and slightly surprised when we walked out of the elevator. It was great to see someone fully enjoying themselves with a simple handful of flowers. It reminded me that the best things in life are free.

No matter how much money I make or how successful I am, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as actually enjoying the gifts you’ve been given in life for free - love, flowers, sunny days, laughing, etc. We often forget that it’s natural to be in nature; it’s in our best interest to re-connect with it.

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