When I was in fifth grade at Lovett, as a celebration of our accomplishment of leaving elementary the school took us on a five day excursion.....it was five days AWAY from our parents....an excursion at a place called Camp Olympia and some of us went to Camp Cullen both in Trinity, here in Texas. On the last night there some of us went on a hike. I can remember to this day so vividly how it was so dark the only way we'd get anywhere was with our flashlights and focusing intently on the sound of the footsteps in front of you. I can remember the counselor pointing out the little spiders with glow in the dark eyes that also aided in lighting our path. And then when we got to just the right spot the counselor told us to take out our towels and lay on the ground and turn off our lights. He then proceeded to tell us a story about this fellow named Orion and to show us this constellation that his story had suddenly brought to life. Now I am not exactly sure if it's normal for a fifth grader to have the experience that I did when I laid my head on the soft earth and let my eyes glaze over the darkness and follow it to the heavens above, but the words of the counselor seemed now like they were coming from underwater ....waaaahhhhh waaahhh wahhhhhhhhhhhhhh....and all the sounds, the music of the nature that surrounded us faded and in that darkness I looked up and saw Athena the MOST magical vision I'd ever seen. It was an ocean of stars ...an vast, endless ocean of glittering light that flickered in and out but still remained so resplendent. And I promise you the way they consumed the night sky it seemed as though I could literally reach my hand out and grab a handful of stars and eat them and let them overtake my soul so that I was always shining from the inside. And while Orion remains my favorite constellation to this day and his story will always endear me it was not necessarily that that moved me. Because Athena even as little as ten, but then again, maybe the numbers life gives us aren't always important and definite for we are very capable beings from the day we are born. We are inherently blessed with the ability to appreciate life in this way no matter our physical number. Forget the numbers. What moved me laying affectionately on the earth, absorbing it's warmth and moisture, loving it, was that when I looked up and saw that sublime and brilliant infinite moving picture of Supreme and Utter artistry I knew I would be a complete and total captive of this place The Sky.
I remember laying there thinking, "I am so small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things. I am in AWE of this most mesmerizing piece of artwork." I knew by looking up at the sky that we have to always have a sense of wonder, gratitude, respect, admiration, and curiosity for the world that we live in and have been so graciously blessed with. So ever since then I just had a very ridiculous fascination with anything involving the heavens.
A few years ago I started a portfolio of sorts. You see I love art, and we will definitely talk about that more in depth later and when I look up at the sky I just feel like it's Jehovah's own ever changing canvas. I feel so lucky when I look up and see such tremendous, humbling, exquisite beauty. So I thought to show my gratitude I'd capture these moments and share them with others in hopes that they could feel what I felt every time I looked up. I have over 600 shots of the sky and some of the miracle of flight, as I've envied any creature with that ability since reading Jonathan. I have been incredibly fortunate in the shots I've captured I think. And here's the one that started it all;
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| If you look closely you will see a face in the clouds where the dark cloud on the right begins. Tata noticed this and pointed it out to me and I like to say it's one of Jehovah's angels blessing my appreciation for His work. |
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| And another face in the clouds the same day. |
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| “Don't believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation. Look with your understanding, find out what you already know, and you'll see the way to fly.” -Richard Bach- |
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| “When you have come to the edge of all the light you have And step into the darkness of the unknown Believe that one of the two will happen to you Either you'll find something solid to stand on Or you'll be taught how to fly!” -Richard Bach- |
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| It's amazing what you see when you look up. These are cirrostratus nebulosus clouds and form a halo around the sun or moon. My neck will hurt from staring at these endlessly I mean come on seriously....amaaaaaaazing! |
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"Come to the edge.
No, we will fall!
Come to the edge.
No, we will fall.
.
There are endless treasures in the world above us for us to find and claim as our own. I feel rich beyond measure every time I look up. And I hope through our adventures together that you feel the same.
"May you never miss a rainbow because you are looking down." I love you.
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