Blessed Solitude

Yesterday afternoon, two of my fellow photographers and I headed up the mountain to Lake Lure to capture a little of the fall color. This fall scene was one of our stops ... but it wasn't Lake Lure, it was a smallish pond we found on the way. It was charming and we only intended a quick stop but the light got better by the second and we stayed longer than we intended. We finally tore ourselves away and made it to the lake, which was beautiful but actually not as capitivating as this unremarkable pond. Our expectation centered on the extraordinary ... Lake Lure ... but the true gift was found in an ordinary moment.

Later that evening I found this blessing in John O'Donohue's Anam Cara:

A Blessing of Solitude

May you recognize in your life the presence, power and light of your soul.
May you realize that you are never alone; that your soul in its brightness and belonging connects you intimately with the rhythm of the universe.
May you have respect for your own individuality and difference.
May you realize that the shape of your soul is unique, that you have a special destiny here; that behind the facade of your life, there is something beautiful, good and eternal happening.
May you learn to see your self with the same delight, pride and expectation with which God sees you in every moment.

The visual beauty of the fall twilight in these North Carolina hills combined with the reminder of the blessings of solitude made yesterday a very special day.