St. Francis and the Allium

Dear Diary,

Yesterday was brutally hot but I soldiered on and got the planting done.  Just two small Hosta plants to put in this morning and, thankfully, it is much, much cooler today.  I had to stop my planting in the meditation garden to photograph the light on my St. Francis sculpture and the lovely Alliums next to it.  It was a moment of common enchantment that had to be acknowledged.  This is my first year of planting Alliums and I will definitely be planting more this fall.

I love this sculpture not only because it depicts my favorite saint but the joyful way he lifts his hands and releases the birds.  It is a constant reminder to me to let go.  To not dwell on the past or try to hold tight to the present, as wonderful as it might be.  Savor it, drink it in and then let it go and move on. 

I have made a few wonderful discoveries while sorting through shelves in the studio that haven't been touched in years I think.  One I will be sharing tomorrow for Memorial Day but today, this poem, unattributed, that I found tucked into a book seems appropriate for today and for all our journals:

As long as we have memories, yesterday remains.
As long as we have hope, tomorrow Awaits.
As long as we have art, today is beautiful.

And photography is the art of daily encounter.  Holding a moment in time still for us to savor and reflect on even years after that encounter.  What a blessing.  But the photograph is not the experience but just a shadow of the experience.  If you must choose between photographing the encounter and really savoring the encounter, choose the later.  Our hearts and minds will record it for us to re-live later.  The more intimately we connect with it the more ingrained it will become in our souls.