Shadows of Change

Technically the season now is Summer, but in my life this is a season of change.  Continuous, perpetual change.  One day is never just like the next. Each day is a new adventure.  The mystery of life continues to unfold.

I'm ok with that.  It makes life interesting, and far more entertaining than any TV show.  Who needs external entertainment, just observe my life.

The high lights of last week were:  Two weddings (one Elvis, one Beach);1 funeral, of the Samoan variety; Quincie's 17th birthday, complete with accompanying party and dinner; and a good friend arrived from Utah for an extended visit.  And those are just the highlights, I won't bore you with the mundane details of the rest of my schedule.

When I walked in the door to the chapel for the funeral I was greeted by the widow in a beautiful all-white dress.  As I looked around I saw that all the family and many of the guests were also dressed in white.  Tears sprang to my eyes as the beautiful meaning in this came to my mind.  They were thinking about heaven, and joining their loved one there some day.  As I looked across the rows of family all sitting shoulder to shoulder, in gleaming white, it could have been a scene in the Temple.  I will never look at funerals the same way.  From now on, I'm wearing white. What a perfect way to express the meaning of life and death.

Oh, and I started learning Tai Chi.  I figured I would start with a DVD in my living room before doing anything like that in public.  It's really hard for me to move slowly.  I am always ahead of the instructor.  Suppose there is a message in that??  I kinda think there is.  The movements are very slow and soft.  I am amazed at the profound effect they have.  I am not 20 pounds lighter, and I still don't have perfect 6-pack abs, but the results are noticeable.  It makes me feel calm, relaxed and peaceful.  That is no small feat.  It's kinda like how the mango salsa is a miracle because it makes me actually enjoy eating fish.  Tai Chi could be called, the Miracle Workout, because it achieves what nothing to date has in my life - calmness. Normally if I am that calm, I am asleep.  I do think I might be getting taller because of it.  All the stretching and posture changes might have given me another inch of height.  How cool is that?

A couple weeks ago I was at the beach by myself late in the afternoon.  The shadows were doing cool things on the sand and I started taking pics.  Here is one that I thought turned out well.  I call it - Self Portrait in Shadow and Sand.  Very original and creative title, don't ya think?