Beneath My Feet

  Shoes and other objects on the steps of the Saskatchewan Legislature Building. I took this photo in Regina one year ago. July 2021 It takes time to build or mend relationships. If you have hurt someone, an apology is a first step. If you are sorry, say so. An apology won't change actions of the past; it is meant to change the future. The very best apology may be accompanied by a change in behaviour. If you are given a sincere apology, know that forgiveness can be healing for both parties. Letting go of past hurts isn’t easy, but it is the only way to move forward.   "Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it."   ~ Mark Twain

Thank you to my dear friend Alayne Sewell for contributing her photo and writing!  The free spirit of my bicycle accompanies me in the heat of late afternoon. As it casts a shadow on the warm Waskesui beach, I am grateful for the adventures it has given me. I  admit it, I love fluidity and speed. The moment I mount its sturdy frame a thrill of excitement and pleasure floods my body. Freedom! Oh, the places we can go!  My partner says that I personify objects. In Buddhist theories, all objects possess an energy, so maybe you could say that energy has a spirit. I’m going with that. My bicycle is more than an object. Its hunk of metal and rubber is brave, dependable, and always there for me when I want it -- it’s trusty. It has the kind of spirit that says “Of course you can do this, take the challenge, let’s go!”  Sometimes my spirited machine hums reassuringly on the smooth pavement underneath. Sometimes its knobby tires crunch fine gravel as we speed along count...

Struggling with the heavy and ever-tangled watering hose, I was most likely mumbling a few choice words. I turned around to discover that it was pinched in a way that made me smile ... and stop to take this heart photo. These are life's moments when little surprises remind us to take pause, and not get too tangled up in our (negative) thoughts. One of my good friends often spots heart shapes in her surroundings, whether they are formed by the foam in her coffee cup or stone in a walkway. It is sort of like when you buy a certain brand of vehicle and then start noticing those vehicles everywhere*. They were there all along, but somehow your awareness and perspective has changed. For her, the hearts are gentle reminders of love that surrounds us. I like that. *Fun Fact:  When a concept or thing, that you just found out about, suddenly or coincidentally seems to pop up everywhere, the phenomenon is called a frequency illusion or frequency bias . "In this cognitive bias there is...