This week's delights

"It requires no special talent or effort to look at our world and point out the things that numb us, or dumb us down, or depress us. In fact, it’s a no-brainer! But becoming keenly and consistently aware of what’s good, true, beautiful, and life-giving around us and within us demands a discipline: we must open our eyes, minds, and hearts. And we must keep them open.

The reward for that discipline is great: as we open up, we start to see beauty everywhere, not only in nature, but in human nature.  There's a lot of bad news out there, but there's a lot of good news as well.  Pass the word and help keep hope alive!"
-Parker Palmer, as quoted from the OnBeing blog
 

Here are a few things from my week that are good and beautiful and for which I am grateful.  Although they are small, some are miracles in their own way.  What have you found to be life-giving this week?  "Pass the word and help keep hope alive!"

1) Unwrapping uplifting thoughts

 
 

2) Finding a beautiful hard copy of my favorite book at a used bookstore.  Now I can treasure both my well-loved copy and this pristine one, both for different reasons.

 
 

3) Natural cold relief to get me through my second cold since being in America.

4) Finding these simple and elegant earrings, made in New Mexico and bought at a local boutique in Portsmouth, NH.

5) Browsing through my host's book collection and flipping through all the great finds.

 
 

Hibernation

The last couple of weeks have been full of great people - so many great people!  We've hosted friends from Africa, connected with friends from the Middle East and India, and caught up with friends from across America.  We heard inspirational speakers, met new people, and I've had deeply touching one-on-one conversations with many.  These people have energized my spirit and I find myself jotting notes of wisdom I garner from them as I go.

As much as I've been energized inwardly, I came to the end of my time in Washington, DC physically drained and exhausted.  My body, often the wiser one, has told me to stop with the onset of a cold.

So now, hibernation.

I found my way up to Maine in between winter storms and I'm now staying in a cozy home, looking out my window at over 3 feet of snow.  I'm doing a training in Conscious Social Change with a partner organization, Global Grassroots.  The home of Gretchen, the founder, is filled with handmade furniture, plants, books, and memorabilia from her travels around the world, all making it feel like a semblance of my own home.  Our training involves, among other things, elements of self-care and mindfulness, bringing me back to a sense of balance and rest, both of which I badly need.  I now let myself tune in to the winter season, shut myself into this comfort, and hibernate from the world for a bit.

Here are some photos and bits of wisdom I've collected from all those lovely people over the last couple of weeks:

“Sharing achievements creates competition, but sharing vulnerabilities creates relationships.”
“Prayer is great for bringing inner peace and strength, but it doesn’t change anything outside. It is up to us to act and make change from that inner place.”
— The Dalai Lama
“The word ‘agree’ comes from the same word as ‘symphony.’ It is not the same instruments that are playing, or even the same notes, but they are still making something beautiful.”
 
 
“You can do more than you think you can, but it’s not always wise. (In regards to pregnancy, parenting, and balance with other areas of life.)”
“We should not develop an attachment to one’s own faith...we think we only need one truth, but we need a concept of several truths.”
— The Dalai Lama
 
 

McGill Family Photos

The best part about living as an expatriate is that so many great people come into your life and become sweet friends, but the worst part is when those great friends leave. It is a bittersweet reality that people to whom I come to know and love, I must also say goodbye.

The McGills moved to Uganda a couple of years ago, anxious to establish a community of friends in this place far away from what they knew. I've been privileged to be a part of this community of theirs and to know them during this season. They recently moved back to Michigan, not so far from my family's home in Indiana, a fact that brings me gladness with the hope of seeing them state-side. Before they left, I had the opportunity to photograph their family and capture memories of this season in their lives, living in Uganda with a beautiful backyard full of home-raised food and enough space for their energetic girls to tumble and climb around. 

Snippets of NYC

We had no agenda for our time in New York City, except to visit people we don't get to see enough. Living in Uganda brings friends into our lives who live all over the world and coming to a city like New York lets us reconnect with so many.

We arrived just in time for the Snowstorm of the Century that wasn't, but we still had to bundle up walking the chilly streets of the city. We walked through Prospect Park to see all the families playing in the newly-fallen snow and I visited the Museum of Modern Art, thanks to the hook-up from a friend who works there. But mostly, we ate food and took time with people, not bothering to explore much. This time, New York gave us rest and friendship, and we are grateful.

Empire state building
Street musician
Prospect Park
snowball fight
sledding
snow storm
tea room
wintertime
MoMA
NYC

Enarson Family Photos

The week before we left Uganda, our friends, the Enarsons, asked me to photograph their small and growing family.  The Enarsons have become special friends of ours during our time together, living in Kampala; we've been able to see each others' families grow in the last 4 years, so it was an honor to capture this sweet period in their lives, with one spunky, adorable tike trotting around and another bundle of cuteness on the way.

I've since declared that capturing families with kids in their own environment is my favorite kind of family photography, but then, the Enarsons made it easy.  Sami was a photographer's dream come true, with his laugh-on-demand, almost as if you were pushing a button on a toy.  Overall, the session was really playful and there were no shortage of smiles!  It warmed my heart to hear that Sami even asked his mom the next morning if I was coming back!