scenes from this day (july 2)

i want to remember her inquisitive nature and how she reaches for the camera whenever she sees me behind it

i want to remember choosing to be out in the world and exploring together even when it means taking turns holding her and dancing in doorways while the other eats alone at the table

i want to remember the brightness, the warmth, the moments that seemed to await our arrival

i want to remember how we settled into a rhythm of summer, of family, of being

i want to remember how we decided to push through all of it to choose love

i want to remember how she laughs all the time and finds joy is the simplest moments of together

i want to remember pushing through imperfections and deciding to just be right here capturing what it is to deeply live

*****

"Scenes from This Day" is a prompt in my book Inner Excavation. It's about taking your camera with you on your day-to-day moments and capturing what it is to be in your corner of the world. It's about letting go of the need for the perfect photo from the perfect day and instead using the camera to document the small moments that make up your life. It's about telling the story, your story, in the way that will help you to remember the textures and rhythms and sacredness.

a sunday evening deep breath...

gearhart self-portrait . june 20, 2011

in this moment,
find your breath
inhale
breathe in your life
exhale
and stand tall inside all that you know... 

*****

i am simply delighted to share that i am a guest on kimberly wilson's tranquility du jour podcast this evening. listening to it again tonight, i am remembering how comfortable i felt sharing so honestly about inner excavation and the path that brought me to here and how i am letting go of this need to find balance in my life. i hope you will head over to kimberly's site to listen to the interview and peek in on all the incredible things that she is up to over there. i am so glad our paths have crossed; she is a gem. 

*****

i am also happy to report that my first newsletter will be heading out into the world tomorrow. i will be sending one about once a month, and they will always include an invitation from me to pause where you are and be right here, along with little notes about the goings on in my corner of the world, including upcoming workshops, retreats, and other good things. the first newsletter will also include a special discount for my Etsy shop, so i hope you will sign up for it right here.

thank you for walking beside me on this journey...

a workshop at teahouse studio!

viv :: liz

Wondering what to do just for you this summer?

How about roadtrip to California to spend a magical weekend in Berkeley at Teahouse Studio with Vivienne McMaster, me, and the Teahouse Studio girls.

Join Vivienne and me July 16 and 17 as we explore some of the ideas and themes brought up in Inner Excavation and share stories of our own inward journeys. 

With a view of San Francisco on one side and rolling hills on the other, we will examine our inner and outer landscapes through photography excursions, putting pen to paper, sitting in the quiet and listening, and playing with juicy, colorful mixed-media supplies. We will seek the magic we create with our cameras when we look through them and when we invite ourselves to stand in front of them. We will also create a mixed-media journal and play with words until we find the poet waiting inside us.

For this workshop to happen, we need YOU! So come along and join us on a colorful, light-filled, joy-seeking adventure this summer!

(Find out more information at Teahouse Studio)

gather the kindling

retreat altar . midwest inner excavation retreat, may 2011

Close your eyes
Gather all the kindling
About your heart
To create one spark.
That is all you need
To nourish the flame
That will cleanse the dark
Of its weight of festered fear.

from "For Courage" by John O'Donohue (from To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings)

a wish

in this moment, how i wish i could sit down right next to you on that step on the front walk of the house on garland circle. i wish i could sit right next to you and ask you so many questions. what is your favorite color? i think blue, but perhaps it is pink on this day as you comb strawberry shortcake's hair. how do you feel about being a big sister? what does your baby brother's laugh sound like? do you ever notice your parents holding hands? what is your favorite thing in the whole world? when is the last time you told your mother that you love her? why are you afraid to learn to ride your bike? 

i would take notes just like a reporter as you paint pictures with your words. would you tell me a joke? would you laugh out loud? would you make up a story? would you sit there quietly inside shyness? would you really seem as old as you felt? would you seem more like a five year old? would you see the light that shines inside you?

i want to hear you sigh with contentment. i want to see you toss your head back as you giggle. i want to see you twirl. i want to listen as you play pretend. i want to soak up a minute or two or ten of just seeing you ready for all that awaits.

yes.

i wish i could sit right down next to you and learn all that you know before you begin to forget. 

and as i look at this moment captured almost thirty years ago, i sit inside this truth: together, we remember.