Today is my birthday, which makes this day a little bit different than yesterday, or tomorrow. It will help separate this day from all the others, which seem to be on repeat for the most part. My kids are coming over to fix dinner and spend a few hours with us, and for those few hours, our six month old grandson and I will be inseparable. 

At 66, my husband and I are pretty careful about going out during this pandemic. At first we didn’t leave the house and did not see our kids. But with time our kids, who are working at home, closed in their circles and we have been able gather with them. We do curbside pick up from various places and have managed to meet a few neighbors. But I could see early on that our outings would be limited, but I also knew I needed to somehow document this time in my life, and all the feelings it evoked.

So, I set out to capture the small moments that spoke to how our days flow, how we fill them up and how we sit in them, sometimes in pain and uncertainty, but with joy and hope.

As someone who is a bit of a homebody anyway, I am comfortable staying home, but I understand that there is a difference between choosing to stay at home because you want to, and doing so because you have too. The mundane can take over and the fear can creep in, making room for the “what ifs”, if I am not careful. This project has not only filled my camera card, but helped keep me balanced and aware.

It has helped me to really get to know our garden space and our neighborhood. It has helped me learn the light inside and outside our new home and forced me to notice moments I might have overlooked before. Most importantly it has helped me to find gratitude everywhere I turn.

I can’t help but wonder what we will have preserved from this time when I look back on it next year on my birthday. What we have learned, given up and gained.

with gratitude and light,
xooox, Cathy