I'll be 57 years old this weekend, Super Bowl Sunday actually. It's nice that there will so many celebrations on my birthday!
Someone asked me, "How do you feel turning 57?" The answer came quickly and easily, "Well, I have my health. I can walk, I can see, I can move and bend and stretch."
I'm damn happy about turning 57!
When you have disease in your family that could prevent you from driving, or moving around easily, you come to embrace every little movement, that may ordinarily "bother" an otherwise healthy person. I watch my mother hang on to her daily ritual of emptying the dish washer. This has become something that keeps her "in this world" and connected to her life. She has a form of muscular dystrophy and has her ups and downs with the changes that have been taking over her body since she was about my age. It has not gone unnoticed that she went from a very independent woman to a woman who is grateful to be moving in her body at all.
I relish when I have to empty a dish washer. I do it as if it's an honor and a dance. I love to wash dishes also because that reminds me of my father. When he was alive he was always washing dishes. True, he owned his own restaurant, but at home he was a dishwasher. When I'm washing dishes, I connect to him on the highest plane as he passsed 8 years ago. I miss him.
My gratitute for the body running well is above all else. And being a photographer, I find great excitement noticing the subtle changes that the earth offers on a daily basis. This week really had a lot to offer. I was heading home west on the 101 to Studio City and the sky was magnificent. The driver next to me actually slowed down so I could photograph the sunset. The fact that he did this made me feel a new respect for people. Or at least, this guy. This sunset was that kind of sunset. It was surreal with layers of orange, pink and purple overlayed with big puffy gray clouds. And as each second ticked on, I was SO grateful that the freeway was only moving 8mph so I could soak this site all in!
My friend texted me, "Are you looking at the sunset?." Yes, I had been shooting it for 10 minutes. It was nice that another human reached out of their "car bubble experience" to connect with another human to say, "Wow! Look at that!"
The same night a couple of hours later, the moon rose. I was in Studio City and spotted it coming up over the L.A. River. I actually said something like, "Oh my God!" as I saw it's very large reflection in the L.A. River. The timing of my driving past that image was almost predestined as I never follow that route. I so appreciate when I'm led on these lovely tours from the higher energies in life that direct me when I'm open to them!
I stopped my car, got out and started to shoot. I had a wonderful day.
I'll share the photos with you and let you know that these 2 events were the best birthday presents I could have received. Thank you Mother Earth.
Best,
Laurie
www.lauriefreitag.com
