Happy

Happy. I am happy to have found this little flower peeking out of the fence this evening. Okay who am I kidding, I totally set up the shot and put it there. But it did make me happy seeing it blend into the rugged lines of the fence. So happy, happy it makes me.

I want to share a message that I received from my Dad's cousin via email. I want to share it here because I want to save it forever. I makes me happy. It made my day when I received it yesterday and after emailing back and forth with her today, I realized that this is a message that I want to be able to go back to years and years from now.



RE: Blip Sat Oct 9th 2010

Mal....does that name mean gift? You are such a gift to so many. Why? Your laugh, your attitude, your caring. You see us and capture in us the VERY best. Sometimes we don't see it in ourselves but you do and give us THE GIFT. The gift has always been enough, YOU.

But now as a woman with more of the world that you have experienced and witnessed, your empathy dazzles. Be it at family reunions, in your friendships, in your neighborhood, and especially with your children. We are so blessed to have the gift and her name is Mal.



I honestly had to go back and view my October 9th blip again to see what it was that I had photographed/said that produced such a touching and thoughtful message as this. And then I saw it, Emotional Photography. That is where this came from and it made me smile. You see, this woman is very special to me. As a young child, I always looked at her with amazement and awe because of her witty and quick sense of humor, her devotion to us (her family) and the way that she always treated me like a real person, not just a little kid trying to tag along. I've always had really meaningful talks with her. And I have always loved her very candid and frank personality. As it so much reminds me of my Grandma. I can remember floating on rafts at the lake way back when, totally listening in on her 'adult conversation', and she didn't exclude me. I even remember the words, "damn" and "hell" being used and she didn't shoo me away because she thought that I was too little to listen in on a real conversation. She made me feel like I deserved to be there. And I have admired her ever since.

I've always been drawn to people who really know how to live life and don't make it their mission to sugar coat the edges. I like to dig deep with thoughts and conversation and the only way that this can happen is when the walls go down, the judgements get thrown out the window, and you can just talk. You are with someone who can handle hearing you just talk. That has always been an important quality to me.

I have chosen my best friends with those qualities. My husband has those qualities. Both sides of our families have those qualities. I always know that my sister will tell it to me like it is, because she has those qualities. So when I received this message from someone in my life who has always inspired me and encouraged me to JUST BE ME, it really meant something. It's like being noticed for your honesty and your quest to surround yourself with happy real people throughout your life. I will always save this note because of who it came from and because of what it says. My family ties mean everything to me. The ties on my side of the family and the ties on my husband's side of the family. And I will always keep my close extended family deep in my heart always. They will always be a part of my life.

So DIVA B, this one's for you. I know it is a flower and doesn't jive with my "Emotional Photography" but because it makes me happy, I thought it fitting to dedicate it to you.

I love you and thank you for making such a difference in my life starting so long ago that you probably didn't even realize the kind of an impact that you were making on my life at the time. You are one of my favorites and I know that you know that!

So now I will head over to my email and give you this little shout out, "Yooooouuuuuuvvvvvvvvvv'e beeeeeeeeeeeeeeen bliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiippppppppeeeed!"

xoxo