When you live alone and have little or no contact with human beings most days, you find ways to entertain yourself. Today was a normal day for me just here at home hanging out with my cats. I was sitting at my desk working on something this morning and looked out the window to notice the tiny buds on the trees out back. I took a picture of it and posted it on Instagram and expressed my excitement about spring being on the way.
A little while later it started to rain and then the sun came out. I just knew there had to be a rainbow so I looked out the same window and there was indeed a full rainbow right in front of me situated directly behind my budding tree. I grabbed my phone and went outside and took some pictures. It was so perfect and the colors were so bright and almost glowing. It made me cry joyful tears. I wanted to chase after it. But I decided that might not be a smart idea so I went back in and watched out the window until it faded away. I sent a rainbow picture to my friend via text and her response was “pretty.” I wanted to leap through the phone and say…LOOK AT THIS AMAZING SPECTACLE WOMAN! (To me it was). But then I have to remember it is all about perspective. She didn’t see it with her eyes as I did. A picture is just a picture, right?
And then there is the selfie. I was procrastinating writing here today. I had something in mind but it didn’t feel right. Sometimes I look through my pictures on my phone to see if I have something saved that might inspire a story. I stumbled upon a selfie I took a few days ago. (When you are alone 99% of the time you have no choice but to take selfies if you need a picture of yourself!). So I started playing around with filters. I think I took this particular picture through 3 different apps and basically filtered the heck out of it until my face almost disappeared. Filters help hide aging and wrinkles and I like that. But as I wrote on Instagram…”But you know what? I like me anyway. Scars and wrinkles = I survived stuff and I’m still hanging around to tell about it.”
My budding leaves, my rainbow, and my selfie…they are moments captured in a camera but in reality they each have an amazing story to tell. That tree has been sleeping all winter and is waking up and coming back to life. That rainbow was just God showing off today! And the selfie? There is a girl behind all the filters and make up who is coming back to life too. As new life is about to bloom outside, new life is blooming inside me every single day and for that I am grateful.
Today was a great day. I was joyful just to be alive and experience nature even if it was through my window. But it didn’t exactly start out that way. Some days it is difficult to get out of bed in the morning and even take a shower. Those are the days you just need to look out the window. You might just see things with a new perspective.
Blessings,
Stacey ~ iamalive
