I gobbled up Anne Lamott's book, Help, Thanks, Wow, in one sitting today. It's a short book, yes, but she's just that kind of writer--the kind where you feel like a close friend is speaking to you--a wise, funny, and sarcastic friend who can artfully describe life and all of its messy bits.
My children (ages 7 and 11) asked me if the book would be good for them to read. "Well... there's a lot of dying in it," I said. They shook their heads in unison and went back to their respective books about wizards and fairies.
I recently read Lamott's book Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace and there's a lot of dying in that book, too--pets, dear friends. But somehow, neither book is depressing. They're both funny, largely because they're truthful, and I had those little moments of self-recognition at least once per page. And even though both books deal with difficult experiences, Lamott also writes about "that occasional gorgeous shock." (Her phrase; I love it.)
As a photographer, I'm always looking for "the occasional gorgeous shock." The "shock" part is the best--when I'm looking through the lens, focusing on one thing, and something completely unexpected pops up. That's what happened with this dragonfly, above. I was focusing on the flowers with my macro lens, when I was pleasantly surprised to see that there was a little dragonfly who seemed to be smiling right at me! He posed for one shot before flutter-buzzing away.
One of my ongoing goals in life is to really keep track of the occasional gorgeous shocks--to notice them, fully appreciate them, and be grateful for them. Especially the day-to-day beautiful things that we sometimes take for granted, but then catch ourselves noticing, and almost pinch ourselves, thinking, "WOW! Such beauty, right in front of me!"
When I looked up from the last page of the book today, there was my dog, Delilah, sleeping on the couch beside me, beautiful and serene, completely unaware of just how shockingly gorgeous an animal she is, her chestnut-golden fur catching the sunlight streaming through the window. And I petted her velvety ears, thanking her just for being her gorgeous doggy self.
How 'bout you? What have you seen lately that's shocked you with its sheer gorgeousness? I'd love to hear about it!
P.S. Big announcement coming next week--stay tuned!
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