Here we are again, bombarded with reflections on the year just passed. Often this conjures up memories of previous years, specific moments gone by in the river of time that flows swiftly onward.
A big holiday dinner shared with extended family many years ago came to mind recently. I distinctly remember thinking that day, probably for the first time: Treasure this happy day, in a few years some of these elders likely won’t be here anymore.
More than a decade on, three of those elders and, prematurely, two in my generation have since passed away. So I do indeed treasure those memories of family and friends together at the table.
In 2018, I had a good Christmas. Nice dinner with friends on Christmas Eve. Visited family Christmas morning to exchange gifts. Then a lovely little hike in the Cascade foothills along a river to lush waterfalls, followed by Chinese dim sum in Seattle’s International District.
Twin Falls, WA, December 2018
Jade Garden, Seattle, WA
As I write this, it’s cold and raining outside, but my little basement office is warm and cozy. My aging and fragile cat is having a good day/week—she finished her breakfast, asked for more, and is now curled up on the shelf beside my desk while I work. I don’t think she’ll be here next Christmas.
Formerly feral Tashi cat
I have work into the New Year (this is key for self-employed people). The knee I smashed into the pavement a couple days ago after tripping on a sidewalk crack and falling appears to not have suffered more than just bruising – it’s good to ski another day.
Crystal Mountain in the video below, January 2018
My middle class life is not extravagant, but it’s rich with my remaining family (that’s growing with the next generation), friends, and experiences.
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, October 2018
Today I’m feeling the fleeting beauty of life, its poignancy. I have suffered, I have overcome, and I’m concerned about the future. But today, right now, it’s good. I am blessed.
South Fork Snoqualmie River, December 2018
Jervis Inlet, B.C, July 2018
May the New Year bring you joy, laughs, and good health. May you find just enough, right now. Because this moment, after all, is everything and all that we truly have.
Deception Pass, WA, January 2018
Near Leavenworth, WA, June 2018
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3 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Jill, at this point its subtractions and additions as we roll along. So savor what we have. French family is here until Wednesday so its been 7-8 at the table for dinner which is a lovely feeling. My next challenge is giving up our lovely seattle house, especially since we woke up this morning to a lovely fog and frost on the roofs, then the lovely mountains-it will be hard to surrender this for a condo in Portland. But it was the house or the farm and we said farm. Still thinking about books of which we have something over 1K. Oh well, we are warm, dry, safe and certainly well fed, in this world that is so much to be grateful for. Best to you dear, Mary Lou
I’m a bi-state Northwesterner raised near Portland and based in Seattle, where my family roots extend back 150 years. I grew up nurtured by western red cedars, trilliums, swordferns, and waterfalls.
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3 comments:
Jill, at this point its subtractions and additions as we roll along. So savor what we have. French family is here until Wednesday so its been 7-8 at the table for dinner which is a lovely feeling. My next challenge is giving up our lovely seattle house, especially since we woke up this morning to a lovely fog and frost on the roofs, then the lovely mountains-it will be hard to surrender this for a condo in Portland. But it was the house or the farm and we said farm. Still thinking about books of which we have something over 1K. Oh well, we are warm, dry, safe and certainly well fed, in this world that is so much to be grateful for. Best to you dear, Mary Lou
Thanks for your thoughtful comment Mary Lou. Tough choices, but the I-5 slog is only getting worse. Take good care and happy 2019!
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