We Will Remember Them

This morning we rose before the sun. 

In the cool darkness we dressed, warm scarves around our necks & boots on our feet.  

As we drove, the first glimmers of light peeked through heavy fog & began melting the frost on the ground. Our first stop - our favourite lookout - perched on the edge of the range. It's just above the city yet below the fileds, often swathed in misty clouds. We stopped for a while to watch a hawk circle above the valley, before it duck & dove downwards into the thick bush.  

As the sun glowing red & amber, began her rise above the coastline, we set off again. 

The streets which had been silent just minutes ago were now lined with people. Medals, poppies & rosemary adorned the chest of many. Families showing their little ones the importance of this day.

At the lookout, we joined a group of a dozen or so strangers. We stood alongside each other - a young family dressed in pajamas, a couple wearing leather & helmets, a woman with her camera, a pair walking their dogs - listening to the last post on a car radio, as the sun cast golden rays across the downs & rose high above the ranges. 

In silence we all marvelled at this beautiful landscape - & for a moment we silently thanked those who gave their all for us to experience it. 

Now, in this moment, as the sun is painting water-colours across the sky, I am taking a moment; to light a candle & whisper a prayer of gratitude, for all that was given. 
I will remember them.
 

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

 

On My Mind: Gratitude

I had hoped for a fruity-hued sunrise at 5am this morning, however I was met with grey skies and chilly winds - I stood in the courtyard for 10 minutes under-whelmed and disappointed, until the clouds thinned, just enough for peach coloured clouds to emerge for a few moments ~ it has made my day.

I am currently on a break from work, while renovations at the cafe are under-way, and my bosses take a well earned rest. Twenty days of unwinding, refocussing and preparing for the year ahead, and it couldn't have come at a better time.

My body has taken a beating in the past 12 months - physically, mentally and emotionally, and things have not been easy for my relationships either, especially between Sam and I. The usual concerns surrounding finances, careers, relationships, life in general have come thick and fast, often equally matched by some of the most joyous and rewarding experiences of our lives so far. We have our usual tiffs and screaming matches, usually reconciled by the realisation that we have driven the argument off on such a tangent that neither of us can clearly remember the instigator. We have had family struggles and heartache, lost friendships and felt betrayed - yet during our lowest moments, we continue to strive for the blessings within our lives.

In our first year of our Creative Arts degree, our acting lecturer 'played' a 'game' with us appropriately named Blessings, where each participant walked around the space, talking to no one in particular, about the blessings in their life. There was always the 'class clown' who listed his latest one-night-stand and the size of his, ahem...manhood, and the Gothic chick sulking in the corner, who repeated, every.damn.time, that she had no blessings in her life. However the majority of us could list numerous blessings, including family and friends, education, money, lifestyle, and so on.
I always thought of it as a pointless practice for 'our art', yet it's basic principle remains with me, years later - gratitude.

It's been during the slowness of the past week, forcing my body to relax and my mind to clear, that I have rediscovered the act of identifying blessings and discovering gratitude. We are living quietly and slowly at the moment, partly due to our desire for a simpler lifestyle and partly because we really can't be bothered with doing much else. Enjoying each others company, thoughtfully preparing wholesome meals, creating a comforting and rejuvenating environment for us to thrive in, has become much of our current lifestyle focus. We have so much to be grateful for - a comfortable lifestyle, the blessing of friendship, good health, successes and failures,  and especially Tig, Appa & Quinn, each other. We really are tremendously blessed.

This year is already looking to be full of change - new new beginnings, new goals, new jobs, new challenges. I am anxious and excited and a little fearful of the unknown, yet I am holding tight to this recent revelation - identifying blessings and discovering gratitude.