Today was BE STILL and SEE day group gathering at one of our local libraries.  It was - as always (well for the two meetings we have had) an adventure on Life's Journey.  We were 11 spirits - as different as night and day yet connected by a love of photography - beauty - joy and excitement for life and all it offers and the anticipation of what is to come together!   Although I talk about "NO technical talk", it can easily go in that direction because everyone is eager to 'take better pictures'.  That's admirable.  It's also a challenge to let go of that - and also the need to take pictures to sell them and make some money - and realize that taking the pictures is the PROCESS and as valuable if not more so than the final PRODUCT!!
    Contemplative Photography can be a concept that is challenging to wrap yourself up in - it's about NOT having a project or an end result, but just going out - being still - and observing the world around you.  It's a 'letting go' in a big way...don't label anything - just see!!  Don't go out to 'take pictures of flowers' - just go on a walk or go to your garden.
  Several of us talked about the camera's being a meditative tool.  It's that way for me ...it has a powerful settling effect to just walk with it and notice.
   One of the group, in order to understand  Contemplative Photography and wrap her head around it, made everyone in the group a copy of a Field Guide to Contemplative Photography.  What an amazing gesture on Emma's part - both to understand more what we are talking about and then to share with everyone the publication she found!  Gratitude for that!!
  The picture with this blog - Denise taken by Charlie - they joined us for the first time - she with her childlike curiosity (a kindred spirit for me!!) and he with his quiet sharing.  Like Bill and I, they are contrasts that fit well together.  On this day, they were off on an adventure to the ocean - the shore - the beach - whatever you might want to call it!!  Can you believe she shot more than 1000 pictures that day!?  I can because like Denise, I recognize that EVERYTHING is a moment in time to be seen - OH WOW!!

Bounceability...Resilience...Trust

We all have a wish to belong.  We all have a need to 'fit in' and feel at home within ourselves and as part of a larger community.  For much of my life, I have felt on the periphery - but not now.  Meet my group of caring compassionate women. We are all members of The Transition Network, Philadelphia chapter.   We all came together at the begnning of 2013 to engage in a program/curriculum called Bounceability: Resilience and Aging.  From the first night we were open, caring, trusting and good listeners.  We all had need to talk at times and the others listened and cared.  Last night we finished the pilot program and made the decision that what we have together is too strong to just say, "So long!"  We are planning on creating our own Bounceability 2.0 - WOO HOO.   Who are we?  All women over 50 in some sort of transition in our lives - each of us with our own issues - aging parents, health, death and dying, retirement, job shifts, family issues.  We were a group focused on specific topics for each session - those most importantly related to resilience.  Openmindedness, Curiosity, Creativity, Spirituality, Self Regulation...strengths determined by the VIA questionnaire. 

   The issue for me is the sense of belonging - being heard - and respected and a part of the whole.  It doesn't matter what job we have/had, what our education is, where we live.  What is important is our journey to self and the realization that, as one member said, inside we are all from the same source of light/energy!   

           It's all about being present, trusting the process and being open to the flow of life!