The View

For over 20 years, I have gazed out my kitchen window while sipping my morning coffee. What have I seen?  Hummingbirds fluttering by, bunnies hopping, sun rising in the east, and every now and then a few wispy clouds overhead. In 20 years I think I have been too oblivious, too caught up in the “view” before me. I have been too busy rushing to straighten up, get a load of laundry done, make Gregger’s oatmeal, or catch up on social media. In other words, I never realized what was right in front of me. When we traveled, the view became a whole different world. WE actually STOPPED. We saw the world through four eyes and it was beautiful!

•  the coastline of Italy while cruising the Mediterranean…standing on the balcony just staring at the vacant stretch of sea before us…mesmerized by the beauty that lay ahead.
• the Eiffel Tower from our balcony in Paris last year…Gregger sipping his morning Starbucks (yes, he found one next door to our hotel) and enjoying this splendid view!
• a harrowing chairlift ride (as I clung on for dear life) to the top of Anacapri gave us a breathtaking view of sparkling water and lush vegetation on the island of Capri
• a smelly mule ride to the top of Santorini blessed us with vast views of whitewashed homes, blue domed topped churches, and breathtaking ocean views from one of the most iconic landscapes in Greece
• shivering on the shores of Fisherman’s Wharf we could barely view the infamous Alcatraz due to fog, but we were lucky to make it over there and get an up close and personal view…
• the breathtaking view of the palm trees and ocean from our veranda in Maui (just this past August)…a view etched in my  memory. Our view for coffee, happy hour, playing games, pictures (lots and lots of pictures) or simply doing nothing but capturing the view. Our view of the best sunset…yellow, red, orange…clouds, shadows, in and out…beaming light to darkness signifying the end of another beautiful day together.

Tonight I sat on my patio and saw a different view of the sunset. One that changed drastically on August 30th. While I imagined Gregger sitting across from me, Jameson in hand, recounting his day at the store, my reality was an empty chair and silence.  My view has become a bit fuzzy and hazy.  I have had trouble sharpening the exposure, adjusting the color saturation, or hiding the shadows. It’s just different because I’m seeing it through two eyes instead of four.

Each day the lines become a little bit sharper, the colors slightly brighter, and the shadows start to diminish. I look out my window and I see the same bunny every morning…I see the same hummingbird swirling by the bush every morning and it makes me wonder. I look for signs in my view. It is so different, but different is okay. Sometimes different teaches us what we never would have known. I learn something new about myself every day. I look out my window and cherish that view. It’s a different view, but I will wrap my arms around different and embrace whatever awaits me.