In Thought, Word & Deed

“Time has a wonderful way of showing us what really matters.”

Margaret Peters

As an amateur photographer, I love finding the magic in the mundane. A delicate crimson rose peeking out among the bramble, the sun as it waves along the tree tops, the smile of joy captured on a child’s face, all in a single, beautiful frame. Something speaks to my soul in those recorded moments. I feel as if I recognized something precious in the capriciousness of life. I find joy in the art of the craft.

I have been capturing moments most of my life even before I held a camera. I found joy working at my college newspaper as a photojournalist; stealing flashes of day-to-day college life and finding a great love in shooting sports. The success of capturing a winning shot, a slam dunk, or the celebration of a team at a championship game was a natural high for me.

Learning to develop my film in the dark room to eventually transitioning to digital photography showed me how transitory our life on earth is. A photo I captured a week ago of the fountain completely iced over was no longer important as the weather now had the promise of Spring. A photo a year ago was not relevant as that college player had graduated.

Reviewing the photos later also gave a mixture of joy and criticism. If I had angled the shot just a bit, I could have gotten a cleaner background.   If I had zoomed in more, I could have gotten more detail. And then there are the times of regret: the winning shot I missed, the accidentally exposed film, or someone stepping in front of my perfect framing. Or worse, all the shots I didn’t take.

Even so, time drums onward. Life goes on and new opportunities await. A new day brings with it new adventures and more to discover and explore.

Today, I look at the one-year-old picture I took of my son as I see the 17-year-old that he is now. I see the pictures of his siblings and see how fast the future is approaching. While the captured moments were still and, in its frame, time keeps marching on and on.  

And that is as it should be. Even so, as the pictures are spread out around me, I am grateful for my many blessings both past and present. I will continue to find joy amidst the day-to-day shuffle which is life. I will seek the rose hidden in the brambles or the sun peeking his head just beyond the hill. I will capture the precious moments with my family and try not to take this time for granted. I acknowledge my time on this earth is limited and short, and each day I am given, a gift.  

“Where flowers bloom so does hope.“

Lady Bird Johnson

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