and the stone was rolled away

In the spiritual sense...because it's Easter and today marks the day of the women going to the place where Jesus' body had been placed only to find the stone that was covering the opening to the tomb rolled away...and Jesus gone. Risen. Born again.
In the emotional sense...because in yoga today Dean reminded us that it was time to let our defenses down. To let go of whatever was holding us back from being our true selves. He encouraged us to let that true self of our soul speak to us...and for us to listen...and to believe in it whole-heartedly.
In a physical sense...because I love the idea of literally moving something out of the way. To allow something new to come in. To see to the other side of whatever was blocking our vision.
I feel like this message has been delivered to me time and time again. Through different means, people, classes, songs, words in literature, art, experiences. And each time I repeat it (sometimes here on this blog). And each time it settles into my soul in a different way.
Yes, universe, I hear you.
Yes, I want to follow the directive.
And in some ways I can...but the steps are sometimes baby steps. And sometimes they are steps in the wrong direction. Or backwards. But on this Easter Sunday, a day of rebirth and new beginnings, why not start again?

friday quotation

Starting an online photography class this week and already loving the messages that are being sent my way via "manifestos" like this. Some of my favorites:
- Wake up to what's already there.
- Trade your fear for curiosity.
- See beauty everywhere.
- Make mistakes.
- Tell your story.
- Be playful.
- Elevate the ordinary.
- Be brave.

friday quotation

friday quotation on a Sunday

I just didn't have time on Friday. Nothing "came" to me on Saturday. But today, I read this and thought, "yes...we are more than logical...we are hopeful...sometimes even when hope is illogical."

“If we were logical, the future would be bleak, indeed. But we are more than logical. We are human beings, and we have faith, and we have hope, and we can work.”
―Jacques Cousteau

friday quotation

Fairy tales are more than true. Not because they tell us that dragons don't exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten. ~G.K. Chesterton

And happy birthday, Cam!

friday quotation on a Saturday

There are no 'chance encounters.' All encounters offer us the opportunity to transform fear to love and create a miracle. Accept that relationships are assignments to learn and grow." ~Gabrielle Bernstein

(Posting on a Saturday because that's just the sort of day that Friday was! I was WIPED OUT from the week. Note: this picture is one that I took this summer in NYC. I loved that I was able to capture this moment...a "chance" encounter...or maybe not.)

too good not to share

If you're not a regular follower of Story Corps, you are missing out.
Missing out on great stories like this. (Warning: you will need tissue.)
Stories that inspire.
Stories that make your heart melt.
Stories that remind you of what's important in life.
A life that, in the words of Grant Coursey "is really good."
Enjoy.