reverb10

Prompt: Gift. This month, gifts and gift-giving can seem inescapable. What’s the most memorable gift, tangible or emotional, you received this year?
Author: Holly Root

It wasn’t even a gift for me really, at least not at first. I was in NH a couple of days before Thanksgiving with my mom. It was just us girls and we were very much enjoying our “girl time”.  Joe and my dad were set to drive up together the Wednesday before the holiday so we were free to shop for them without them having any idea. Of course we were also shopping for ourselves, and our homes, but that’s beside the point. As we entered the second fabulous consignment store of the day I spotted a small Christmas tree right by the entrance and upon it was the most perfect ornament ever.

I had started the tradition of giving Joe a new ornament ever year for Christmas a few years back, but last year I couldn’t find any that were really him. It made me really sad, because he totally dug the compactor/roller ornament the year before. (He likes machines J). Anyway, upon this decorated tree was an ornament that had Santa happily riding a beautiful black and white cow. The cow had these outrageous ears sticking straight out. It was fabulous. Joe has always loved cows, since he lived near them as a kid and never can we pass by a pasture of bovines without him asking at least once if we can stop to pet them. (My typical response to this request has something to do with a farmer’s right to protect his livestock, shotgun in hand.) Anyway, I gently pulled the ornament from the tree and turned to show my mother. She smiled at it, though with slight hesitation…Santa on a cow? I turned to ask the folks behind the counter how much this precious little thing was, only to have them look at me with confusion and then, as they realized where I’d gotten it from, inform me that the tree was sold. As in the whole decorated tree. With all the ornaments ON IT. Boo. I was crushed. I put it back and moped into the other room.

My spirits were buoyed slightly by the perfect little baby bed I got for my newborn shoots and the new metal file holder thingy that is going to look amazing in my office, should it ever get hung, but I was still pretty bummed. I was making my way through the last section of the store, nearly done with my shopping when a random lady approached me and tapped me on the arm. I looked at her as she extended her hand to me saying, “ I already told them up front I wanted to give this to you.” In her hand was the ornament. I was stunned, I didn’t know what to say. It was the sweetest thing. I told her how Joe loves cows and this is perfect for him, and how last year I had failed to find anything and felt really badly about it, and she nodded her head as I thanked her and she backed away saying, “Merry Christmas”. I was nearly in tears (sure PMS might have had something to do with it, but really it was just a sweet moment of random stranger generosity. At that point I was unaware that I’d be treated to that again this holiday season). I continued my way around the aisle meeting up with my mom and told her the story and she nearly started crying too. As I told her the clerks overheard and all agreed it was a very nice thing to do. Very nice indeed. As I type this now I can see the little cow, ears stuck straight out and I love it so much more for how it came to be in this home. Joe loved the story behind it and something tells me its one we might share again and again, if given the chance. I know I will.

(Note: to learn more about this post and find others like it head on over here.)

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Prompt: Defining Moment. Describe a defining moment or series of events that has affected your life this year.
Author: Kathryn Fitzmaurice

When I saw the listing for a hand stamping jewelry class at a nearby bead shop over the summer I was excited to give it a try, hopeful it would be fun and thought maybe I’d make something nice. I don’t think I really anticipated that I’d like it so much, or ever think of trying to make and sell pieces as a second business. But that’s just what happened.

Months later now I have no idea where I might take this little crafty business, but the mere idea and initial steps I’ve taken have actually lead me to do an even more important thing: to widen my view. I tend to, in photography terms, “close down my aperture” with regard to my life in general, and this one class and the dominos that have fallen since have been brilliant in my opening back up to the world of possibilities out there before me, ones I might not even realize yet. I love this new wide angle view and can’t wait to see where this path leads me.

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Prompt: Achieve. What’s the thing you most want to achieve next year? How do you imagine you’ll feel when you get it? Free? Happy? Complete? Blissful? Write that feeling down. Then, brainstorm 10 things you can do, or 10 new thoughts you can think, in order to experience that feeling today.
Author: Tara Sophia Mohr

What is it called when you are so consumed with happiness and contentment that you stop, even if only for a moment, the constant analysis or examination of yourself, your life, your purpose, your success? Is there even a name for that? For when you just ARE as you ARE, and that feels so good you refrain from diving any deeper than the feelings before you? That’s what I’d like to see happen for me more often in 2011. That would be a bonafide achievement for me to attain that level of mental quietness.

Don’t get me wrong I’m not suggesting some sort of hedonistic obliviousness that lacks the kind of awareness and appreciation I think come hand in hand with a life well lived. Instead I’d just like to pull my head out of the equation a bit more, and just BE. So for me, the thing I most want to achieve is a feeling as well as how I’d feel if I get there. To get there today perhaps I could try:

1. pulling my head away from its never ending quest for understanding by doing something mindless like reading magazines or watching a favorite movie
2. laying down with the dogs when I start to feel overwhelmed by the questions
3. writing my thoughts down more often, setting them free on the page instead of caged in my mind
4. getting out of the house, a change of scenery might do me good
5. taking a nice long hot shower, my favorite thing
6. investing in others, commenting on the blogs I love, and seeking out new kindreds
7. work on doing one small task, so I can sense tangible progress
8. let myself drift back to a time of great success and joy, and not judge that as something I SHOULD have built on, as if it is no longer good enough just as it is
9. take photos of the current beauty right around me, bringing me back to the present
10. munching on something yummy (chocolate perhaps)

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Prompt: Ordinary Joy. Our most profound joy is often experienced during ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful ordinary moments this year?
Author: Brené Brown

Our old apartment had a huge front lawn. It wasn’t the grassiest or the most private, being on a main road as it was, but it was massive and nearly treeless so the sunlight completely flooded it from noon onward. Back in the Spring, when winter was just newly gone and I was clamoring to be outside, to be warm and to be able to leave the house without sixteen layers of clothing on, I would bring a blanket out into this sun drenched front yard. I would smooth my blanket out as the dogs ran and sniffed and eventually laid down with a stick or in the shade, and I would flop down onto it. I would disappear into the warmth and light. The cars went by. The birds zoomed overhead. The clouds may have drifted, but I’d only notice if they got in the way of my beloved rays. I’d wear dark colors and jeans and let the warmth radiate onto me until it became almost too much, until I had to move because it felt like I might actually be burning. Those afternoons were bliss for me. Absolutely nothing else had to happen. The sun just had to shine. Those were ordinary moments of extraordinary joy. Joy from being warm, from being outside, from being free and alive. Eventually the dogs would get too hot, or it’d be time for lunch, and so we’d head back inside for a while, but I took that warmth with me, that and my blanket, ready for the next day.

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Prompt: Everything’s OK. What was the best moment that could serve as proof that everything is going to be alright? And how will you incorporate that discovery into the year ahead?
Author: Kate Inglis

Many, many years ago I was in Newport Rhode Island with a former friend and we came upon a palm reader. I was keen to give it a try, but she wasn’t sold on the idea. When we stepped inside we discovered it was actually a mother daughter duo and they could each take one of us at the same time. I think I got the daughter, but I can’t really recall. What I do remember very distinctly is that she told me I worry too much about money (true) and that it will always be there, it will always work out. I took perhaps greater comfort in her words than I should have, but I tend to believe that the Universe tells you what you need to hear when you need to hear it, so to me, this was a pleasant reminder. I don’t necessarily think I’ve changed in my worrying ways too much, but I try to keep her message in mind.

Needless to say just a few days ago I participated in a grand Christmas Miracle started by this lady. While I knew Joe and I didn’t have much to give I couldn’t read about what was happening and NOT do my part. I am well aware of the blessing I have received in my life and I want to be sure I never take them for granted. With that in mind I left my own comment on the TheBloggess.com to help and was matched up with my person. After a couple of emails I sent out my little bit to help and felt the warmth of being connected to something bigger than myself. Of course, this might not be the best time of year to be making such donations, but this was when it was happening. And while I wasn’t really “worried” about the money, I always keep in mind the smartest things for me to do and while lending a helping hand feels wonderful, so does feeling financially secure.

Anyway, not even 24 hours later I got an email from the one affiliate program thingy I have ever done in my life. The one sale I had contributed was being paid out to me and the funds were now in my paypal account. Here’s the cool part: the amount I gave and the amount I received were nearly the same. Too nearly the same for me to fail to see the correlation. I had posted the affiliate link on a bit of a whim, hopeful but not really strategic at all, I’m not such a good salesman. To have made even one sale was pretty neat. And then to see that that one sale meant an affiliate percentage of nearly the exact amount I had just given to someone else who was in need; that was just plain rad.

All of this unfolded with a variety of emotions, but happily I landed on the reassuring sensation that everything was OK. That everything would turn out alright. I just have to keep doing what I’m doing, keep listening to my heart’s call and keep being conscious of the gifts in my life.  In the end, that’s really all we can do, right?

(Note: to learn more about this post and find others like it head on over here.)

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Prompt: Travel. How did you travel in 2010? How and/or where would you like to travel next year?
Author: Tara Hunt

Los Angeles, CA, January 2010 To see an amazing friend.
New Hampshire, May 2010 For my nephews birthday parties.
New Hampshire, June 2010 To photograph my latest little nephew in all his newness.
Maine, September 2010 A visit to my sanctuary; my aunt and uncle’s farm.
Pittsboro, NC October 2010 To see an old college friend that I have missed these last several years.

These were all trips to see family or friends and I loved every one of them, none of them lasted long enough. I am hoping for an international trip in 2011, nothing quite so grand as my New Zealand adventure from years ago, but just as much outside of my comfort zone: you know, where the real growth happens.

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Me and my friend Ginna circa 2000/2001 (oddly, I’m the one without the camera!)

Prompt: Future self. Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?)
Author: Jenny Blake

Dear Current Rebecca,

No doubt you are looking back at 2010 and wondering a.) where did the time go? and b.) did you do enough work towards your goals, because it kind of feels like you didn’t. I can tell you, you did just fine. The questions that you asked yourself all year, the answers that you searched for, all that effort will pay off in 2011 and you couldn’t get to all the amazing stuff that will happen next without going through that feeling of being lost first.  And while yes, that lost feeling will carry over a bit into the new year, the path you are on is about to give birth to new ideas and new adventures. Truthfully you’ve begun to see that you’ve been playing it safe for a while now, and finally in the coming year you are about to open yourself wide up and go for the gold. And as scary as that seems right now, it will all work out so wonderfully. By the end of 2011 you will feel like a new woman, stronger, freer, and more at home in your own existence than you have ever felt before. As you step into the new calendar I want you to remember these three things: you are enough just as you are; you can trust your intuition to guide you; making mistakes is how you learn, lighten up a little and make some.

Now go for it. Be willing to take those risks you feel you are about to jump into and believe that whatever you have to give, it’s exactly what others need to receive.

Always,

Your future self, who knows

Bonus:

Dear 19 year old Rebecca,

Man, this is nuts, because I can see all the ways you are going to muck about and I know nothing I say will really change that, because that’s who you are (we are) and we learn by doing for ourselves. But I’ll tell you this anyway; it’s ok. You don’t have a clue what you’re doing, or where you want to go, but that will be the story of your life for a long while. You’re going to be convinced that when one thing doesn’t feel right you should change everything! And it won’t be till well after the baby is out there swimming in the bathwater for the millionth time that you’ll grasp the whole “change from within” concept, but luckily you’ll meet a nice lady with a comfy couch who will help you figure that one out. The best part though, and I am not being sarcastic here, I mean this, is that all this messy life has been teaching you is exactly what you will come to call on when you need it most. You will start to see that while you appreciate the lives and works of those around you, your own ideas are worth sharing too, that you’re existence while somewhat confusing to others, has gifted you with more empathy and life experience than they can know. And this is the gift you will finally come to share. Your sense of beauty and wonder which has always seemingly guided you astray, was actually guiding you here. And while “here” isn’t perfect, it’s pretty darn special. Keep doing your thing, but maybe if you could, try to keep this in mind as you go: you’re not as alone as you think you are. See that truth a little more often if you can, and I know it’ll be tough, but try. Cause I think that realization alone might change a whole lot for you.

Good luck.

Your much older and wiser self, who’s not at all tripping out about being nearly 30.

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Prompt: Beyond avoidance. What should you have done this year but didn’t because you were too scared, worried, unsure, busy or otherwise deterred from doing? (Bonus: Will you do it?)
Author: Jake Nickell

It is pretty easy to think of all the things I “should” have done, they haunt me daily. But the one that stands out to me as the most important and the one that I am most bothered by faltering on is reading. I have books stacked to the ceiling and am itching to read them all, and yet I make no time for it in my daily life. I feel like this has been a year of motion, of constant, exhaustive motion. My magazines sit collecting dust, where they once got me excited and planted new seeds. My library grows, but only because of my intentions, never because of my true needs. But this will change. I feel this void as if I’ve lost a limb so I must change my practices to make more time for it. Just yesterday I found myself feeling lost in a haze, one To Do task tripping up another on their way to the front of my attention. It has to stop, and the best way for that to happen for me is to sit still, and read.

(Note: to learn more about this post and find others like it head on over here.)

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Healing. What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011?
Author: Leonie Allan

It’s one of those things I always put on my to do lists, but never get to. Its not made a priority, or at least the other priorities on the list out rank it, I suppose. Taking photographs for me, seeking out and capturing the beauty of my day, my place, my mind, I never get to do it. And apparently that neglect had left a space in me rubbed a bit raw, and though I wasn’t actually looking for a remedy I found one in a spare few hours on a farm up in Maine.

We don’t take vacations very often, maybe once a year, so it was a rare thing to be up in Maine in the first place. My aunt and uncle’s farm has always been a safe harbor for me, quiet and welcoming. So, one morning during our too short stay Joe took off to go fishing in the river and I hung around the farm. My aunt was busy with her garden, my uncle off at work. The dogs lazed about in the shade as the heat came in with the midmorning sun. I was totally free, camera in hand, to walk all around this place that had been magic to me since I was born. I snapped away, from this angle and that, four millions frames of a single flower: heaven.

I was able to play, with my settings, with my ideas, with my own creative self. When I shoot for my clients I am in a zone that is both wonderful and consuming. While this is fantastic for the images it produces for my clients, I can sometimes want nothing else than to just hit the “pause” button and evaluate things sans the two year old running amuck, the three month old flopping face first into the hardwood and mom and dad making the call on which shoes to wear. Don’t get me wrong, I love the chaos, I create it most of the time, and that energy and honesty is exactly what I aim to capture. It’s just that there is an appreciation of stillness within me too, and that’s tough to honor in my normal sessions.

So there I was with time on my hands and endless beauty to capture. And it happened; magically, suddenly and without really looking for it, my rawness was healed. I began to get quietly excited. Each frame and challenge was lighting me up inside and I couldn’t wait to find the next spot, object or view I wanted to capture. So many of those photos have been featured here on this blog and a bunch are now in my online shop. I never thought I’d love photos of anything other than people and dogs, let alone ones I loved enough to share. But I found my vision of beauty again, and I’ve continued to capture my world (thanks now to my handy iphone!). Going into 2011 I want to continue with this practice, as each frame, does more healing than I think I can really understand.

(Note: to learn more about this post and find others like it head on over here.)

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