5 Stages of Grief Told Through the Body

Photo Essay on the morning routine abstracted.

Photo Essay illustrating the struggles and triumphs of the human interaction with nature. Sometimes nature's power is underestimated and we as humans forget to be humble and grateful. Humility and grace are the keys to having an harmonious relationship with our mother.
  

A girl and her horse

Sometimes I wish I could go back to the way Christmas Eve felt when I was a little girl. I remember very clearly the shivers I would get coming home from dinner at Grandma's that would last all the way till I fell asleep. Every once in a while I would wake up in the middle of the night and if I listened hard enough, I swore I heard reindeer hooves on the roof. The next day would be all about the presents and getting to see my Cousin, and getting to eat all those Christmas cookies. However, as the times have changed, so has my perspective on the holiday a little bit. I now realize some of the true meaning of the holiday. Maybe it's because I stopped getting so many actual presents and started getting checks from everyone (which believe me, as a poor college student, does not go unappreciated) and now have a little bit less unwrapping to do and a little more time to reflect on the spirit of the season.

When you get older, you realize that some things change. Different things come up into your your awareness. Now, it's not like you've never heard these things before. Things like "have good will towards man," and "Christmas is all about celebrating our lord and savior Jesus Christ." When I was younger, I would just shrug these off. It's not like I didn't care about having good will toward others, but I just didn't understand the true meaning of the words. Okay, so like I would go to church and play with the ruffles on my new dress instead of listen to all the big words and odd language the preacher was speaking. I would bow my head, but instead of following the prayer, I would think about that new NSYNC album I took out of my stocking and how I cant wait to make up a dance to it. At this point, I think I should inform you that can probably count the amount of times I've gone to church on my fingertips. So needless to say, I wasn't all that familiar with the actual teachings of Jesus or the Bible in general. Even though it remains to be the most read book in history. Anyway, now when I actually reflect on it, Jesus had a lot of good things to say that I think a lot of us have lost sight of.

Now don't get me wrong, I love unwrapping a new pair of ALDO nude patent leather  platform pumps marked "from Santa" as much as any girl. It's just, I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's not just about getting those gorgeous works of art that you picked out with your mom at the mall a few days earlier without having to pay for them. It's about more than that. We give gifts on Christmas to show those people that we love so much, a little bit of appreciation. A gift communicates what a lot of us have lost the ability to say out loud as much as we should. A gift says "I love you." Now, both the words "love" and "gift" carry different meanings for different people. A gift could be a simple bidding of "Merry Christmas" to a stranger who you walk by on the street, who, in fact, you don't love in the traditional sense of the word. By acknowledging them, and (sincerely) wishing them a happy holiday, you show that at least on some level, you care about them. I believe that is exactly what this world needs most. A simple acknowledgement and appreciation of one another. It's  what Jesus thought too. There are people who call themselves Christian, yet they don't practice that simple, powerful, fundamental value in their everyday lives. If people just felt acknowledged, heard, and appreciated, this world would be a much much better place to live in. I think that is part of why I loved Christmas so much as a kid (besides getting to eat more sugar at this time of year then any other time). Even though I didn't fully grasp the meaning of Christmas, I still felt it. When people gave me presents, showed me they cared about me enough to give me a gift (of any kind), it made me feel special. I felt loved by my family. And every "Merry Christmas!" I heard from a stranger let me know that I was heard. That I mattered.

Isn't that all we really ever want? To matter to someone?

That my friends, is what I believe the true Christmas spirit is all about. It isn't solely about the material, and it isn't solely about celebrating Jesus. It's about taking what Jesus taught, and applying it to our real lives. Christmas is a time when we show how much we care about one another. So even if it's just a jolly wish for someone to have a joyous holiday, or that new Rolex you know your brother has been wanting for months, spread the love. And remember to enjoy the simple gift of being alive.

Sometimes one has to stop and think about being able to not think. The wonderful thing about life is that it is always changes. There is simple beauty in being able to relax and simply, purely, enjoy being alive. Not many people have mastered this art, but those that do are able to live more happily and freely. 

So remember to take a minute to breathe once in a while. In times of stress, the simple action of breath flowing in and out of your lungs reminds you that in the grand scheme of things, it's really not that bad. 

There is a certain exhilaration when attempting something for the first time. There is a beauty in not knowing what will happen after you take that initial, unknowing, faithful step. I know that feeling well. It seems to be occurring more and more frequently in my life these days. You know it's fall after all. The season of change. So as the leaves change on the trees, so does my perspective on how things are. My birthday was two days ago...I'm finally 20. The big two-O! Wow so this means I'm not a teenager anymore....time to start acting like a grown up. At least, that's what they say. Who ever really does act like a grown up in the real world? I've met some pretty remarkable people, but that doesn't mean they are necessarily grown up. We are all just trying to find our way. Much like a leaf falling from a tree. It glides back and forth on the current of the breeze, letting itself be manipulated and eventually, it comes to rest, after a short journey, to a peaceful spot on the ground where it will stay until another uncontrollable force moves it from is steady state of existence.

We will see how this blogging thing goes...for I am on my way toward trying new things. I guess you can say I started this with a new "adult perspective." But nobody really knows what that means anyway.

Ashley Adele Photography. Left hand canyon. Lyons, Colorado