The one that got away!

Today, I spent part of the afternoon outside with Gizzy, taking photos of butterflies, bumble bees and flowers. I think I got some very pretty shots due to the position of the sun, but I will post about that tomorrow. I don't have the energy to download all those photos right now.

I want to dedicate this one post to the butterfly that spreads his wings and flies in spite of them being torn. (I took this photo today) Maybe he got caught in a door or maybe a bird had him in his beak...but whatever it was, he kept flying and never thought: Oh my gosh, how am I going to look? No, he just kept flying, because even if your wings are torn, as long as they work - you go on living. Even if your heart is broken, you will live. Animals just go on and keep on living. They generally don't give up, they just keep going, because living and surviving is what they know.

Looking at this butterfly made me cry, because it reminds me of my friend. She recently gave up on life. She wanted to say good-bye to the world forever. She survived without any apparent damages, but the psychological reasoning behind it is a mystery to me, because I always have known her as such a survivor. It made me indescribably sad to think that someone is in such despair to not want to live anymore. I know it happens all the time, but it's not supposed to happen to anyone I know, right? Life is so precious, it comes around just once in a lifetime...appreciate every little single moment, because once that moment is gone, it's gone forever. I know we all get busy and preoccupied with our lives and duties - with things we think are important - but even if your responsibilities include children, a husband, a job, parents, whatever - be sure and take some time to just STOP! Just stop and stand still and allow yourself to feel - feel the moment, saviour the moment. I personally enjoy clocks. I enjoy listening to the ticking of the clocks...measurements of time. I should be upset over their ticking my life away, but somehow that steady, rhythmic sound of the various clocks gives me comfort. Probably because when you hear a clock ticking, everything else is pretty much silent or else you'd not be able to hear the ticking. I often stop and pause at the lake when Gizzy and I are walking and we find a place in the shade and just sit there and watch. At first you think there is nothing to see, but once you quietly sit there and don't move, you can see the movement around you, be it ever so subtle. Suddenly, you can just sit there and discover all sorts of things, the dragonflies' dance, the fish jumping, the egrets wading or flying...all of a sudden there is movement and life all around you, but you only notice it, if you stand absolutely still. I call it Gizzy TV, because he can sit there for hours, his little head turning from side to side, just watching the world go by. You can learn a lot from a dog. A dog lives in the moment. A dog never holds a grudge. He is happy whenever he gets the chance to be happy. I know of no other creature that can live life with such unbridled abandon like a dog. If you're feeling lonely or depressed, I highly recommend getting a dog! This is from today. Gizzy was tilting his head, because I'm making a very high pitched sound - on purpose, just to watch him do this. I hope you are all finding your center and the courage to be still. (...and remember to switch your cell phone to vibrate!) (I took these butterfly pictures today also.)