How else
An infinitely brief moment that did not slip by unnoticed. Alexandria, September 2016.
“It is necessary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily by. How else, indeed, to clap the net over the butterfly of the moment? For the moment passes, it is forgotten; the mood is gone; life itself is gone…” — Vita Sackville-West
I agree with Sackville-West that writing enables us to capture what might otherwise slip away. For many of us, as for me, it is not an exaggeration to say it is necessary to write. Yet there are other means of savoring and saving precious moments. Photography is one way. Just seeing– really taking the time to look, and remember– is another.
The photo above was taken one lovely day last September, when Jeff called me out to the deck to see how many bees were swarming in the newly-blooming Sedum. Naturally I dashed for my camera, and took quite a few photos of the bees, one or two of which are sure to show up here eventually. There was a butterfly among them, and I took quite a few photos of it too.
Now when I see this photo I don’t remember just the flowers or the colorful insect feasting on them. I remember, more than anything else, a day that I knew was beautiful, even without knowing it was one of the last of its kind. I remember one of the delicious moments that retirees will understand, when life has slowed down enough for such precious times to be possible. How grateful I am for that memory, and for the photos that bring it back!
The days are slipping by for all of us. Whether you preserve the fragile “butterfly of the moment” with writing, photography, art, or simply sharing it with another person through a conversation or letter, remember the ephemeral nature of beauty, and savor it.
This post was first published seven years ago today. The original post, comments and photo are linked, along with two other related posts, below. These links to related posts, and their thumbnail photos, do not appear in the blog feed; they are only visible when viewing the individual posts by clicking on each one. I have no idea why, nor do I know how they choose the related posts. That’s just the way WordPress does things.
- Posted in: Uncategorized
- Tagged: appreciation, awareness, death, fleeting, journals, life, literature, memory, mindfulness, moments, photography, transitory, writing
Defeat Despair 
Hi Julia,
I think life itself is ephemeral. Thus, we should relish each day, no matter what it brings. And may we always see the day through the lens of childlike wonder.
Spring is in the air! So says Punxsutawney Phil!
❤️
Hi Chris, it warmed up around here just long enough to make me less tolerant of reasonably cool days than I should be. I think getting older has made me more sensitive to the cold. I did manage to get away THREE times in February (Texas, Florida, California) so really I have no right whatsoever to complain. And yes, we definitely SHOULD relish each day. That’s my goal, though I don’t always live up to it…
So, three trips!!! I just assumed you were hunkered down, strapped with numerous chores and studying endlessly! 😊. You should have called or come by when you were in Florida. Sorry I missed you. When I get to Virginia, I’m definitely coming to see you!
Seriously, Julia, I’m glad to hear you’re out and about. I pray your travels were meaningful, and enjoyable. And on this Good Friday, I pray we all remember that we’re alive because He lives! Continued blessings for you and Matt!
Hi Chris, Happy Easter! Having been born with wings (figuratively if not literally), I have never been able to hunker down for very long without hitting the road– or in my case, the skies– for my travel fix. Due to all the crises coming at us in recent years, I’ve learned to make the most of opportunities as they arise, knowing I can’t take them for granted. That’s one of a very few things I can honestly say I’ve been doing for my entire life (going way back to childhood when my Mama and I would conspire to talk Daddy into another trip).