Flutter by.. If I were a butterfly

flutterbye 2, originally uploaded by 2bamazed.

If I were a butterfly, where would I go?
Fluttering here and there
to and fro.

Gliding on winds breath,
taking in the scenes
Nothing to hold one back
because I have wings..

If I were a butterfly, where would I go?
flutter by, butterfly
to and fro..

Only I, only I, would know.

If I were a butterfly...

~Kimberley Jones 2010 "Flutter by butterfly"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Took this the other day on my porch.. Rain showers had just ended, and the sun was showing its face.. I had to let my lens acclimate
to the hot and humid conditions outside vs the nice cool room it was in.. (very time consuming when you have a fast subj. such as this..)

Butterflies just amaze me..when we see them in their fullness. One would find themselves in awe.. Fascination sets in as you watch one in flight, or resting on a flower, taking in its sweet nectar.

However, if one digs deeper into the story, it is even more fascinating.. I found this story some years ago, but it has helped me along the way..

The story of the butterfly
http://www.hawaiiswim.org/business/TheButterfly/TheButterfly.html

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly.
One day a small opening appeared.
He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours
as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole.
Then it stopped, as if it couldn't go further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly.
He took a pair of scissors and
snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon.
The butterfly emerged easily but
it had a swollen body and shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch it,
expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge
and expand enough to support the body,
Neither happened!
In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life
crawling around.
It was never able to fly.

What the man in his kindness
and haste did not understand:
The restricting cocoon and the struggle
required by the butterfly to get through the opening
was a way of forcing the fluid from the body
into the wings so that it would be ready
for flight once that was achieved.

Sometimes struggles are exactly
what we need in our lives.
Going through life with no obstacles would cripple us.
We will not be as strong as we could have been
and we would never fly.

So have a nice day and struggle a little and teach well.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So a little thought to add.. With our struggles in life and sometimes the feeling comes across to just give up.. Remember, these struggles help give strength for one's fullness, When you can finally see the light and spread your wings and fly..

Flutter by butterfly, flutter by.

2bamazed, always

The Shoes

The Shoes, originally uploaded by 2bamazed.

One of my most favorite shots.. the mess of the wires on the floor, the moment of "first" heels, anticipation of my daughter's first dance, her hair flopping over.. :) Everything was just a beautiful mess. Coming in from the mall, bags were tossed here and there, the grab for the box that held "The Shoes" was in progress.. see these were different to her.. They were hers.
All I could do was just shoot.. Still new at the cam and settings etc. I saw the moment for what it was.. :) Firsts.. My daughter was growing up. I could in my mind remember her play dress shoes and jewelry that I thought she would never grow out of.. Or telling her to get out of my heels.. before she hurt herself.
I look back at this, and realize how much I have gained from this image. A milestone of many things.. Her life and the journey's she was about to take, my photography and it's journey, and such sweet friendships made.. All wrapped up in one image.

The shoes.

Journey on....

2b

As One....

Horseshow9, originally uploaded by 2bamazed.

There is just something that takes you back, when you see a young one doing something that you haven't done or tried.. You kind of scratch your head like, What does he/she know that I have overlooked? This shot was a reminder.

As this young boy walks the track during judgement time, all the other children had adults walking with them.. This group here.. It was the band of brothers.. Silently they made they're round, the horse.. truly ONE with these two. I watched and gazed as the boy handled his horse, and it was with such gentleness, They seemed to have had this understanding.. This bond.. This trust. As the judging came to an end, and they received 2nd place.. the little boy stroked his Horse with shear joy.. Even though they didn't get 1st prize, they did it together, as ONE.. And to him, that was more than a piece of ribbon could say.

2b

Summer Rain

Summer Rain, originally uploaded by 2bamazed.

One of my favorite images.. It just spoke.

When people ask me, "What is one of your favorite things of summer?" My reply?.. the smell of rain before it falls. :)

Then there is just something soothing about the rain.. It is the best time to take a nap peacefully.. I dunno, the sound can just knock a person out.. Then the cool breeze that follows is awesome.

Just something refreshing about a "Summer Rain"..

2bamazed, always.

Past...Present... and future

17 almost 18 years ago I became a mom.. Yes, of this fine young man. Dreams and aspirations went up on the shelf titled, "Save for later," and I had more important things to take care of.

Through bumps, bruises, many broken bones and laughs and tears.. I can never be more proud of the decision I made.

On this night, HIS night of completion.. I take a shot, almost ironic I must say.. A lot of people do not believe in "Everything happens for a reason", or timing. Well, I guess ours came around.

 You see.. My dream was photography/photojournalism.  How funny that on his graduation night, I was there for the Times News, a paper I work for, capturing an instant, a moment of the past, present and a glimpse of future. Perfect timing. :)

2bamazed, always.

Life is a dance...

I have found one thing to be true... through the ups and downs, curves and the straight and narrows, you can basically reduce it to one thing... a dance.  Knowing the steps and swings and just breaking free from the fear of the unknown can prove to be pretty gratifying.  Found this quote in one of my reads..

~J Krishnamurti

"You must understand the whole of life, not just one little part of it. That is why you must read, that is why you must look at the skies, that is why you must sing and dance, and write poems, and suffer, and understand, for all that is life".
 
 
So...I am learning a LOT of new things right now, which scare me.. But guess what, I can only sum it up to a dance. 123 and 4..123 and 4..learning, counting my steps.. stepping forward and back..

Its just life.. a dance.
 
2b

The Crème Coffee House

The Crème Coffee House, originally uploaded by 2bamazed.

If you are ever in my neck of the woods, this coffee house is the place to go.. As you walk in you are met by the smell of, ohhhh, the coffee. As your nostrils are filled you also hear some great music from various guitar players picking.. A warm fun atmosphere.. There is also a fountain and garden area for quiet chat in the back. I will return here. Hope you get a chance to visit.

2b