When social distancing is no longer an issue.

Purple asters in close contact; it must be nice.
The axiom, "You don't know what you have until you lose it" is true in many ways.  The things we were used to and took for granted have made their absence known.  Not with a shout, but with a slowly escalating awareness which has stirred itself into a frothy, boisterous cry.  Who could have predicted that there was more to life than a cell phone and a lot of social connections?  Could there be too much of a good thing?  Social isolation has left us craving interpersonal contact that is real and not personal.

I love my purple aster photograph for a number of reasons.  First off, I took it a couple of years ago when I was camping and visiting my son near Edmonton.  Family, quality time, and camping - for me there is nothing else that I enjoy more.  I remember the scene well; it was a clump of wildflowers growing right beside where I parked my rig.  An amazing metaphor of togetherness without suffocation; everyone is important, and it was right there under my proverbial nose.  I am glad I took the time to enjoy them and capture the moment.

Another thing that makes me appreciate the scene is the knowledge that such photographic opportunities are ethereal.  You have to be at the right place at the right time with the right equipment or there won't be a shot.  In a way, time together with our loved ones is much the same.  Think about those your care about and miss spending time with; how many opportunities have there been to be together?  Young ones grow up all too quickly and responsibilities rob us of doing what is really important.  Take advantage of the moments when they appear because they won't be coming again any time soon.

Think of the photo as a meme for interconnectedness.  We touch the lives of each other in just so many ways.  Take one flower away and there will be a hole, a void; it can be filled in by the others but its absence will be noticed and felt.  Each flower's reproductive organs, the yellow center, represents an individual.  The petals are the ways we interact with others.  Sharing, affection, communicating.

We hear talk about the "new normal," an idea which basically says things won't ever be the same.  Although the devastation caused by Covid-19 is profoundly tragic in so many ways, there are some things we need to be thankful for.  Those that you love, love deeply.  Do not be afraid to embrace them and share how much they mean to you.  Each moment is fleeting, much like the life of a bloom, and needs to be appreciated.  Recognition of the value we have to each other comes an appreciation of togetherness, unity, and love.

Eventually Covid 19 will be a thing of the past.  Let's not forget the valuable lessons we learned during this time.  It is good to wash hands.  It is good to be thankful for what you have.  Hugging, when the time comes, is good too.

Thanks for reading.  www.ericspix.com   Eric Svendsen

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