I am not one for writing blogs but I have been highly encouraged to begin writing a blog a week, and I feel up for the challenge. I’m great with a blog full of photos that I have taken and letting the photos speak for themselves, but writing out a blog a week is something that feels very stretching for me. I can’t say there are many times when I think I want to sit down and write with the choice of sharing it with others. I can see many benefits that I have found when I give time to writing but it is not my first instinct to write about something that has happened. My first instinct is to take a photo to remember what happened. In writing my weeks out I am exited to allow the moments to sink in deeper. I want to receive the fullness. There are photographs that I have taken over the years that hold significant meaning because they symbolize a specific season I was in.
“A picture is worth a thousand words.”
Like these shown below, one from when I traveled for 11 month to 11 different countries and this photo captures what happened in my heart through this time. It is one that has marked me and I look back to frequently. Then my beloved Grandpa, who I have many photos with, but this one is special to me and signifies a specific season I spent with him. Each of these photos hold a more meaning than I could explain but in different seasons I have found a different thousand words to describe each of these photos. If I had not written my thoughts for the season I was in I would know a change happened but I wouldn’t be able to recall how deep the moment truly effected me. I can pair my photos with my writings and remember the whole story of that time and the difference I see in them now. I can clearly see the difficult, the grand moments, the emotional the simple, and cherish them all deeply.
This is a space for me to express what is happening and keep a dialogue with all who are interested in knowing what is happening in my life here in the woods of Sophia, NC. I am excited for this journey of giving time to writing again. I feel so much joy because I don’t know what will come in my week to week but I know that they can only benefit me to write more of it out.
I feel we all experience areas where something could be beneficial but don’t want to take action because it is not appealing or the first choice. I hope that over time or even today this would be something that encourages you to step out of the box and try something new and stretch yourself. I am not doing this on my own but have friends who are supporting me and we are accountable to each other. I hope to hear the ways that you have stepped out and challenged yourself in something new. It is really refreshing if you give the time to it and value your choice.
- Sydnee Rae