Let the joy flood in
Perhaps it’s just an ordinary leaf —
Dried up and ready to be thrown away.
But then again, perhaps not.
It’s a golden feather
And a dazzling heart.
After all, the holes are there to let the joy
And the light flood in.
For more different points of view, please visit: Our World.
And joining up with Skywatch too.
Beautiful brevity
The sakura, or Japanese cherry blossoms,
Remind us that life is short and beautiful.
Buds and blossoms thrive
On the same branch – and so can we if we really try.
The pink froth of the petals
Reminds us that time and blossoms are fleeting, fragile and fabulous.
For more insights into life, please visit: Our World.
Fleeting beauty
Once again, I found myself back at the Japanese cherry blossom trees without my ‘big’ camera;
Once again I did the best I could with my mobile phone.
I gasped as I looked down the south alley:
Most of the sakura blossoms had already fallen
Creating a magical world of petals and light.
In Japan, people contemplate the fallen petals
As a reminder of how fleeting life is.
The trees on the north side
Were bursting out in pink pops of joy.
Everyone – no matter religion or nationality –
Was united in pure enjoyment of the blossoms.
(Look at the big grin on the face of the woman to the right of the monks.)
Just as I was leaving, the sun burst through the clouds
Reminding me that there is beauty in those brief moments we call life.
For more fleeting moments, please visit: Our World.
The circle of life
Those of you who follow my dog, Oscar, or me on Facebook already know that Oscar is no longer with us.
We had to say good-bye to our dearest friend on Friday as his osteoarthritis left him unable to walk.
After so many years of unconditional love from him, it was our turn to show him our love and let him go.
He dived into his last sunset at the vet’s on Friday morning, surrounded by so much love. (He was nearly 12 years old.)
He fell asleep peacefully in my lap, with the rest of his family at his side.
I know he touched the lives of so many of you – even though you had never met him.
It warms my heart that you could see his gentle soul through my photos.
It’s a measure of the love he shared and the life he led – that he connected with so many people around the world.
He lived fully in every moment; he loved widely and generously.
That’s the best way to live — and his best legacy.
Please forgive me if I don’t visit you this week. But I want you to know that your warm wishes and love are a source of comfort to us.
For more love, please visit: Our World Tuesday.
Cherry on top
Every year, the sakura – or Japanese cherry blossoms –
Spread pretty pops of pink elation in downtown Stockholm.
They hang like
Petalled bunches from the trees;
Are gorgeous
Clouds of blossoms in the sky;
Float in the air
Like pink tutus;
And remind us
That life, like the cherry blossom,
Is fragile, fleeting and beautiful.
For more stories, please visit: Our World Tuesday.
Horsing around
As it’s the Chinese New Year and the start of the Year of the Horse,
Some wisdom from the horse’s mouth seems appropriate.
I moustache you to embrace the year with open arms;
To remember that even if life seems to be going backwards,
We can try to deal with problems with grace.
Life has its moments of beauty —
And of tenderness and love.
A big dose of laughter will stop neigh-sayers in their tracks
And make life better —
Because it’s all about falling and then having the courage
To saddle up and ride again.
For more hay-zy wise words, please visit: Our World Tuesday.
Dancing like dew
I love the early mornings
And the dew
That transforms ordinary leaves
Into something extraordinary —
Into a bejewelled world
Of dancing rainbows,
Reminding me of one of my favourite quotations:
Let your life lightly dance on the edges of Time like dew on the tip of a leaf. — Tagore
For more enchantment, please visit: Our World Tuesday.
The yin and yang of flying
The noise is what first attracted me.
A huge commotion of wings and flapping.
Swans are so ungainly when trying to take off for flight
Yet so graceful in the air.
The up and down of their wings,
The harmony, the pain and the beauty,
The yin and yang of life.
For more harmonies, please visit: Camera Critters.
Sailing without a wind
One evening, I was out enjoying the pink rippled effect
On the silk of the lake
When a sailboat came into view.
It was a magically, calm evening – not a breath of breeze in the air…
The lesson seemed to be this:
As we set sail across the oceans of our own lives
We have to remember that the strength lies within us
To get to our haven – even when there is no wind to help us on our way.
For more calm skies, please visit: Skywatch.
On the beach
A day out at the beach
Can fill you with joy
And teach you that you need to make time for rest —
And space for play and imagination.
Even when stripped down to the bare bones,
We still have a rusty beauty.
At the end of the day,
It is enough simply to be,
And to be who we are.
For more life lessons, please visit: Our World.
Who says what?