summer in my back pocket

I've wanted to write.  Truly.

But it just didn't come easy for me this summer.

I guess I've been tucking all the meaningful moments into my back pocket instead, COLLECTING AND CHERISHING THEM LIKE TREASURES.......waiting till the last few unrushed hours of the season to pull them out and savour each one.  

It's actually a triumph for me TO BE FULLY IN THE MOMENT without capturing it in a photo or immediately putting it into words that render it permanent.  My mind is a place where words and images are constantly tumbling, rolling, and forming themselves into a story of the moment - even as I'm living it.  It's a bit weird actually.  I wonder if other people experience life this way -- in words and pictures rolling live.

I've wanted to write about the luxury of long, quiet hours alone at the lake,

the heartache from floods that devastated our city and surrounding areas this June,

and the intense living from sunrise to sunset that a family of five does when there is time to play and enjoy each other.

I've wanted show you images that capture the quiet magic of a sunset swim beneath an eagle perched so close that it took my breath away (I SO wish I'd had a camera for that) or the boisterous hollars of children flying off a tube through the air, all framed in blue.

But MOST OF ALL, I'VE JUST WANTED TO SHARE MY HEART WITH YOU.  To speak to you right where you are --in the middle of your magic, and heartache, and cherished moments.  I've wanted to give you what some of my favourite authors give me: something to consider, to spark imagination, to celebrate, to question, and to remind that THIS LIFE REALLY IS WORTH LIVING.

As we slowly step past these days of deliciously inviting shades of green (shades so rich that they almost hurt to look at and not jump into) I invite you to come with me over the next few posts as I empty my back pocket and share with you some of my summer finds.


Word and images © copyright Melody Armstrong 2013