Waiting Quietly

Last week I spent some time with my granddaughter, introducing her to making photographs with a DSLR camera. We decided to just go out into the yard outside the house where they live. And even there we found amazing beauty

in plain sight all around us.

The further I wake into this life, the more I realize that God is everywhere and the extraordinary is waiting quietly beneath the skin of all that is ordinary. Light is in both the broken bottle and the diamond, and music is in both the flowing violin and the water dripping from the drainage pipe. Yes, God is under the porch as well as on top of the mountain, and joy is in both the front row and the bleachers, if we are willing to be where we are.
― Mark Nepo, The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have

I told my granddaughter that one of the reasons that I fell in love with photography was that when I held a camera in my hands I began seeing beauty everywhere around me. And it’s true, I do find beauty all around me when I look through the viewfinder of my camera. But now, I also find it even when I’m not carrying a camera. It’s become a habit for me to look closely at the world around me to find the beauty that is hidden all around us.

And I love that my granddaughter enjoyed finding and photographing the beauty in her own backyard. She was a fast learner and made some lovely images during our short photo safari in the backyard.

Loving What Is

One of the big lessons in my life has been to learn to love what is instead of wishing that I could be different or do something else. Finding beauty in everyday life is a big part of loving what is for me. I had a lovely conversation with another photographer yesterday who is facing some serious health challenges. And we talked about loving what is instead of wishing for things to be different. Both of us had noticed that you could find beauty anywhere and that embracing the good we find in each moment is a much more joyful way to live than bemoaning all of the things we wish we could do.

I am a lover of what is, not because I’m a spiritual person, but because it hurts when I argue with reality. We can know that reality is good just as it is, because when we argue with it, we experience tension and frustration. We don’t feel natural or balanced. When we stop opposing reality, action becomes simple, fluid, kind, and fearless.
― Byron Katie, Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life

Try noticing the next time you are wishing you could be different or better or whatever it is that you find yourself consistently thinking that brings you unhappiness. Then let go of judging and simply look for something good or beautiful about this moment.

May you walk in beauty.

Note: Today’s photos from our backyard photo safari.