What Does The Word Mean - Part IV

I'm still working through David Wythe's book, Consolations, with a group of photographers. The challenge is to photograph "the solace, nourishment and underlying meaning of everyday words."  I'm a little behind in posting my photos and thoughts. December was quiet busy, but hopefully I'll catch up in the next couple of weeks. You can read this post for a little more information on the challenge.

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GENIUS

Genius: the quality of a given place; air, land, water,

trees, and smells combined with it's history

Civil War Site: Bayou Meto, Arkansas

At this location Confederate forces stopped the Federal Calvary from crossing the Bayou Meto in route to capture the capital of Arkansas. As I stood on the banks of the bayou I closed my eyes, felt the slight breeze, heard the rippling water, and smelled the woodsy odor of the rich black soil and the cypress trees. I felt this place. A deep sadness filled me for those who were lost and wounded in this battle.

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GIVING

The giving of gifts has always been hard for me. I never seem to find just the perfect gift for someone. Maybe it's because I have never spent "a long time sitting in [my] armchair in silent contemplation of those [I] want to gift looking for the imaginative doorway that says I know you and see you and this is how I give thanks for you . . ."  ~David Whyte

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GRATEFUL

I am grateful for the delightful surprises that await when I open my eyes and really see.

"It is not joy that makes us grateful,

it's gratitude that makes us joyful.

~ Brother Davied Steindl-Rast

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GROUNDED

It's the simple things in life that bring me pleasure and keep me focused. It's the ground I walk on, the plants, the creatures, and the clouds. These calming gifts of nature help keep me from being overwhelmed as life brings many changes.

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HAUNTED

Often we are so disturbed and obsessed by on emotion, a memory, or even an idea that we feel haunted by it. Being haunted doesn't always have to be dark and dreary. Sometimes what is haunting us can give us courage to take the next step in our lives.

"When we make a friend of what we previously could not face, what once haunted us now becomes an invisible, parallel ally, a beckoning hand to our future."

~ David Whyte

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HEARTBREAK

"But heartbreak may be the very essence of being human, of being on the journey from here to there, and of coming to care deeply for what we find along the way."

~ David Whyte

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I think why I've enjoyed this challenge so much is that it makes me think of the lesser used meaning of some words like genius and haunted. Whyte has such a unique way of interpreting words that sometimes I find if very hard to even understand his definitions. I have to read the chapter several times to absorb what he's saying. This project has been challenging for me, but definitely good. 

"I like good strong words that mean something . . ."

~ Louisa May Alcott, Little Women