It was our third morning in Jamaica and Chad and I were trying to decide what we were going to do with our day. We quickly found that laying on the beach was only fun for a certain amount of time–especially when the hue of our skin matched that of the snow covered ground we had left a few days earlier.
We passed by para-sailing. . . heights and I don’t really get along.
We passed by scuba-diving. . .sharks and I don’t get along.
We passed by mountain side bobsledding. . . speed and I don’t really get along.
We passed by cliff diving. . . death and I don’t get along.
Finally, we landed in front of a lovely Jamaican woman who would make plans for Chad and I to horse back ride up and down and mountain and through the ocean later that day. The woman was as chill as they come and laughed and joked with us as we filled out papers and made our payment. She seemed genuinely curious as she made small talk. . .
What are your names?
I’m Chad and this is Summer, Chad answered her.
She looked at me and smiled, you look like a Summer.
Where are you from? she asked with her most wonderful Jamaican accent.
We told her we were from the States. . . Ohio. It’s cold there, she responded as if we didn’t know.
Next she asked Chad what he did for a living and he told her he was a Landscaper. They talked a bit about his job before she asked what I did for a living, She’s a photographer, Chad told her. (Because I still have trouble owning it.)
Hmmm, she responded immediately, you both like beautiful things.
Her statement was so direct and so matter-of-fact it nearly took my breath away. You both like beautiful things. . . As Chad and I walked away were were both struck by the truth of her statement. A simple truth, but a truth that had never before been spoken so perfectly.
Wow, I said to Chad. That was cool.
I know, he responded.
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We have talked about that simple interaction several times since it happened. In a way, I have felt a weight of responsibility, knowing that there is this gift we’ve been given, this love of beautiful things, and not wanting to waste it. (I also have a gift of taking something really simple and making it quite complicated.)
You see, when I first met Chad he was going to be a Youth Pastor. He was going to change the world. He would make an impact.
As for me? I was going to be a Therapist. I would change lives. I would be a helper.
It’s was pretty simple. And really, it went as planned for awhile. We did what we planned, but we all know how plans go. Things change. People change. Lives change. Chad and I? We changed. Our family changed. Our hearts changed. A few years of experience helped us to discover what that lovely Jamaican woman put so succinctly. . . we both love beautiful things.
That’s nice, but what about changing the world?
Chad gets his hands dirty. I hold a camera.
When it comes down to it, we watch the sun rise and we watch the sun set. And in between? We do the best we can to love the gifts that are right in front of us every single day. . .
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But are we doing enough?
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You see, I so often get stuck in the trap of thinking that life has to be grande or that goals have to be big. My “change the world” mentality often clouds my view from reality.
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The truth is, I’ve thought about this a lot over the last few weeks and the conclusion I’ve come to is this. . . loving the life you’ve been given and doing that thing that fills your soul, goes so far to change the world.
Maybe I’m over simplifying things. Maybe it really should be more
complicated. But for me, coming here and saying it,
‘virtually’ shouting it, really, is part of my purpose. In a way, I hope that as I see the beauty in the everyday of my life, you will see the beauty in the everyday of yours. In a way, I hope that when I see humor in my life, you will see it in yours. (Admit it, we’ve all boiled eggs without water, right?. . . okay, maybe not that one.)
It’s not much, I know. It won’t be recorded in history books or marked down as a great legacy. But maybe, just maybe, it’s enough to love that which is right in front of us.
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Beautiful things from the weekend. . .
More puddle jumping. . .
Meadow with the neighbor dog. . .
Braids. . .
The start of baseball. . .
Saturday morning breakfast. . .
|
| Bunny chose fruit loops.
Father/Daughter Dump Truck Bonding |
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As always, I could have avoided all my senseless Chatter and left it up to Story People. . . Once, there was a girl & a boy
who wanted to change the world
& at first, they thought it’d be easy,
because if everyone could see how
beautiful it’d be, it’d take about
a minute, but all the people
they talked to were too busy
to stop & listen. So, they went off
& did beautiful things all on their own
& pretty soon people were stopping &
asking if they could come along & do that,
too & that’s how they figured out
how worlds change.
Yep, that about sums it up.
Have a lovely Tuesday.
as usual, you nailed it on the head, summer. such wise words. when you hear the word "world" the first thing that pops into a lot of people's mind is The World. What we tend to forget is that we all have our own worlds within The World, and that's what we need to keep beautiful.
as far as boiled eggs go: i was boiling bottle nipples when joey was three weeks old one afternoon and fell asleep while rocking him. we woke to the smoke detectors going off, the kitchen almost in flames and meghan yelling for us. yep! i know right where you're coming from! ; )
My goodness, just beautiful. "But maybe, just maybe, it's enough to love that which is right in front of us."
Yes. Yes it is. Thank you for the perspective! x