WILDLY FREE ELDER
The Artistry of Aging
The Beauty of Interwoven Connections
Beaver Lake, Asheville, North Carolina/Photography by Gaye Abbott, 2023
“…you and I don’t end at our fingertips or skin – we are connected through air, water and soil….we are quite literally air, water, soil, energy and other living creatures.”
David Suzuki
Standing on the wooden walkway at the Audubon Bird Sanctuary my companion saw her first. Long turtle neck stretching up to the sky soaking in the suns rays, her body grounded on the log in the lake water poised amidst the reflections of Fall color.
The energy that was this turtle, the calm water of Beaver Lake, the soil that nourishes the trees and plant life saturating the air around us, the still and peaceful energy woven with bird song, delivered us into the present moment – a woven tapestry of elements.
An expression of alchemy within interwoven connections expressing an ordinary beauty that was stunning in its simplicity.
Looking up, as the turtle was, the impact of the entire reflective lake surface and surroundings stunned me for some moments where silent appreciation almost brought me to my knees.
Beaver Lake is surrounded by houses and a road into downtown Asheville, NC yet in those moments all I saw and felt was beauty….and a deep connection to it all.
We are indeed air, water, soil, energy and other living creatures. There is no separation but that which our mind creates…..
Beaver Lake, Asheville, North Carolina/Photography by Gaye Abbott, 2023
“ORDINARY BEAUTY” will be a series of short weekly blog posts through the end of this year on finding and witnessing ordinary beauty through the experience and wisdom of elderhood. Stay tuned!
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Gaye Abbott, Wildly Free Elder, 10/20/23
I love the reflections on the water, especially of the turtle reaching its neck out.
BE