Goodbye March…and hello April! March in Minnesota is definitely not spring, it’s more like winter’s last gasp, and weather-wise we had it all! Which did not help my fibromyalgia, depression, or recovery from foot surgery (March 18).
But in many ways March was a lovely month. In a way, the unflinching support and love my friends and family have shown has made much of the physical and emotional pain–well, not worthwhile, exactly, but (forgive the cliché) has amounted to a sturdy silver lining.
And photography is fast becoming as necessary to my emotional health as my medications. Actually, in many ways it’s a form of meditation, keeping me grounded in the present moment. When I’m shooting I lose track of time, of anxiety for the future and regrets for the past, immersed in the intricacies and minutiae of photography–even though, at this time, it is only iphoneography (which is most definitely a thing now). It uplifts my mood, I love pretty things, and makes me feel productive. It’s rather ironic; thus far I have made zero income with my graduate degree, but I’ve actually, much to my surprise, sold licensing rights to some of my photographs.
I think that perhaps in life it’s more useful to be resilient, to bend with the wind and the earthquakes but not break, than to be stoic and iron-willed. Because you never know what life is going to throw at you, and if you stay too stiff, too wedded to one particular result, it’s almost impossible to go on without becoming a bitter, angry person…
In any case, it’s finally April. Our first real month of spring…tulips, irises, peonies, apple blossoms, hyacinths and daffodils. More sunlight and longer days! A wedding, an anniversary party, and the home baseball opener. And, I finally have the go-ahead for long walks–once the pain subsides–for the first time since I broke my foot in October. So hello April, I promise to cherish every moment. Most of them anyways!
Life is Grace 