I had a phenomenal weekend. Amazing. And you know what? I didn't take a single photo. Part of me cursed about the fact that I "forgot" to document the whole thing...
...but then I was glad. Sometimes you don't need to make sure the whole thing is recorded. There are memories. There is an emotional high. I swear, this high will get me through the entire upcoming week.
It's hard to live on the other side of the country from my family - I struggle with it daily. It's hard to find that work-life-home balance that we're all striving for. It's hard to have the majority of our friends here be child-free...mostly because I worry that we're inconveniencing them with our child. And it's hard to develop your own community, your own inner circle, and your own chosen family in a place where you did not come from.
But today was one of those days. 58 degrees - the first REAL spring day we've had in NYC this year. We spontaneously invited anyone from our "adopted family" to join us for a picnic in Central Park. Totally last minute.
Friends showed up. Lillet was introduced to those who had never experienced it. Taleggio was enjoyed by all. Bug played aerobie with Adam and her adopted uncle. I forgot that the grass areas are still fenced off so we lounged on top of a large boulder. At one point I thought it looked like we were warming ourselves on the rock like lizards. In a good way. We talked food, movies, books...and lots in between.
So the revolution will not be televised. It will be live. The moment when I don't take a picture because I'm so in the moment. The instant where I realize and appreciate that we do have a family here. The millisecond where I feel that we are right where we need to be right now. I needed this day and it was given to me.
Eat, drink, and thank you to New York for all of this.
3 comments:
"The moment when I don't take a picture because I'm so in the moment."
Yes. These are the moments I am most alive.
As one of the child-free ones, I can say that I love spending time with my friends and their kids. Just because I don't want kids of my own doesn't mean I don't love kids and want them in my life! I don't know your friends, but I bet a lot of them (if not all) feel the same.
(And points to you for not immediately taking off for the suburbs, far away from your child-free, car-free friends! Grump, grump.)
I totally know what you mean about the distinction between documenting an experience and living the experience. Sometimes you can't do both... (or at least, it's hard to do both well!)
I've started to try to take mental photos - just for me. Moments and images I try to remember in the hard drive of my mind.
thanks for this image of your spring day,
Namaste,
Lee
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