Just about a week ago, Gail, Sandy, and I were walking out of the building at 4 O’clock sharp. We had to escape the oppressive heat that descended on us the second the air conditioning was turned off for the day. We escaped, but what greeted us wasn’t a cool breeze. Instead we were met with lots of sunshine mixed with a few clouds. Then Sandy said “Look up! What do you see?” I quickly chimed in. “I see two ducks kissing!” Gail said, “I can see that!”
We stood there a few moments longer before walking to our cars and heading home. What I learned from that short break is that I don’t pause often enough during the day before carrying on. I’m always heading somewhere in order to do something. I rarely pause.
Today as I was walking my Golden and taking a few snapshots, I looked straight ahead, and I saw this couple — probably in their late 70s. They walk side-by-side several times each week no matter how hot or cold it is outside. I want to know their story — how long they’ve been together, whose idea it was to start walking, whether I could invite them over for coffee.
They had just paused near the top of that hill as I snapped a few shots of flowers in bloom and other things that grabbed my attention that I might use in a future post. I hadn’t planned on taking a picture of them (as you can tell from the blurry shot), but seeing them together today just reminded me of the title of my blog and the joy associated with navigating this world with someone you love.
The point of this post has very little to do with those two people (though I admire their desire to keep moving). It has more to do with perspective. When I looked up at the clouds, I saw two ducks kissing. When I looked ahead, I saw two people whose lives are probably better because they met and married. As I looked down during a passing shower while sitting on my porch, I saw this.
By looking down, I could also see up. I could see that there was a break in the clouds and that this brief shower would soon move further east — bringing as much joy to our neighbors as it did to me. I’m always amazed at what happens when I change my perspective.
love the clouds and rays from sun!!
It really is all about whose eyes are seeing…What a wonderful world that we don’t all see the same thing 🙂
I liked the raindrops in the water.
Do you see that face in the puddle? It looks either like a cat or a dog…and I love looking at clouds I always see lots of faces in the sky. It’s funny for the last couple of weeks on my way to work there is an elderly gentleman that I see walking. He has on a trench coat even if it’s 80 degrees or more, a fedora and he walks with a cane..very very slowly along the sidewalk. As I see him I wonder about him, in some regards I think is that God? I also wonder if he’s blind by the slowness of his pace…but there he is every morning for his stroll at 8:00 a.m. Thanks for reminding me, I’m going to do a lot more pausing…it’ll be good for me!! xo
I did see the face in the puddle, but I wanted to see if anyone else would notice. 🙂
What did you think it looked like?
Profile of Pooh bear looking left…lol.😆
Ha! I see a straight on face not a profile…but I like the idea of Pooh Bear!! hehe
This is just what I needed to read. It echoes a chapter in “The Pilgrimage” by Paulo Coelho that I am reading about taking time to slow down and really see what surrounds you. That’s my goal for this week.
I’m glad it resonated with you. I may read that book. I hope it helps you to achieve that goal.
Reblogged this on DREAM BIG DREAM OFTEN and commented:
Always love visiting Two Are Better Than One!
Ever since I was a young child, anytime I went somewhere outside the house and especially when we took family time, I would stop and consciously look around me and also smell the air and think, “I am here right now – living this moment – at this moment and try to make the memory indelible- knowing later it would only be a memory, so I would imprint everything about it in my mind so I could later recall it. It became a habit I never failed to do. Recently, I told this to my elderly mother. I had never told anyone of this before. She say there with a quizzical look on her face and said, ” I never that.There is more to you than I ever imagined, but it is these things that scare away people, (like my sisters) because their depth of perception about life is so shallow. They cannot see the life around them because they are always looking at their feet.