Trying to focus on cloud edges. That’s how I spent the sunrise this morning, trying to capture the clearest image of the new dawn. It’s a gift for Mari. I introduced you to my new friend a couple of weeks ago, on her 60th birthday. (You can read that piece here.)
Mari learned last week that cancer has now spread to her liver. It’s inoperable. She’s in a lot of pain.
But her spirits were high during our recent phone conversation, boosted by the warmth and kindness of a new doctor. The new doctor, in stark contrast to the former doctor, was positive and caring. The new doctor took her hand (took her hand!), looked her in the eye, and promised to do everything she could to take care of her patient. Genetic testing has turned up two new options for chemo tailored to her personal markers. Mari is delighted.
Somehow, impossibly, Mari buoys my own spirit during our phone call. She tells me that the #JulyJoy photos in my last blog post made her deeply happy. She looks at them over and over again.
What makes the photos not only beautiful but also meaningful, she says, is that the images are all transitory. That moment will never be here again, but it was amazing while it lasted. I have never been able to articulate why photography is such a profound experience for me, but Mari has just done it.
In the context of our conversation about her health and prognosis, her words wrap me in a blanket of emotion. I place my hand over my heart as I take in the gift she has placed gently in my hands.
Mari tells me she imagines me as a little girl, three or four years old, riding a red tricycle in circles in a driveway, my wind-blown hair flowing behind me. Happy. Open. Joyful. I close my eyes and join her in that vision.
We could go on talking forever, but I’m in the car caravanning to a family vacation. My son is driving, my mother is in the back seat, and I become self-conscious.
But somehow my friend, my new friend, my old friend, my friend of many lifetimes, has touched me so deeply that I feel connected to her for all eternity.
I want to give her this sunrise from my temporary balcony. I want to give her a thousand sunrises, with every cloud edge in focus.
***
If you enjoyed today’s post and are not yet a subscriber, please join my readers circle and receive my free ebook Six Playfully Mindful Strategies to Beat Procrastination and Boost Productivity. You’ll also receive updates on my new book, Blooming into Mindfulness, weekly blog posts, and photography event news. Email is much more reliable than social media in getting information to you in a timely fashion, so sign up to make sure you’re in the loop! (I promise not to share your address or send you spam.)
And if you know someone else who might benefit from an extra dose of calm in their lives, please spread the word! Social media likes and shares are always appreciated.
Finally, if you find typos anywhere on my site, I’d be grateful if you let me know. I hate typos! Contact me so that I can correct the error. Thank you!
