I Heart Macro 100!

love is ever present

take a walk in the woods and see

 trees growing with hearts on their sleeves

birth marks etched into their flesh

and leaves with this same

symbol repeated

you need not go far

 sit on a stump place your hand

on your chest and feel what is here listen

to life force all around and within as

 your heart sings the same refrain

love is ever present

all in their own time

each blossom knows what to do

and when to open

sun and shade dappled

these long awaited crocus

faces greet the day

I cannot believe this is our 100^th week of sharing close-up images; apparently the crocuses are celebrating with us! Over the past few days I was able to walk through the woods with my trusty companion twice. It gave me much longed for time outdoors to reflect on the precious precariousness of life as we climbed over downed trees, some that have been on the forest floor growing new life for years, others newly fallen from this winters’ heavy snow and wind. I walked carefully, mindfully, sat on mossy stumps when I needed to rest and chose to meditate in that way. Ellie would go off and sniff around or splash through the mud. Lots of ticks out there, so it may have been her last romp through the forest for the season, and who knows, she’s no youngster anymore, although her energetic spirit insists otherwise. I’m grateful for our time together, and for decreased physical pain those mornings that allowed me to take my pal out into the wild, where we are both so happy.

At the same time there has been much tragedy and sorrow in the world, abroad and close to home, this week. The devastating earthquake in Nepal, and too many other terribly sad things have made me/us more aware of the capacity for our hearts to expand and fill with compassion. I suspect most if not all of us know someone dear who is coping with ongoing illness, some nearing the end of their lives, others who have left this earth recently. And yet love ever present sustains us through these heartaches, enabling us to awaken to joy in small, tender moments of grace when they arise, and they do, they do.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Welcome to Week 100

I Heart Macro

"Pure awareness transcends thinking... It allows you to look at the world once again with open eyes. And when you do so, a sense of wonder and quiet contentment begins to reappear in your life."~Mark Williams and Danny Pennman, from Mindfulness An Eight-Week Plan For Finding Peace In A Frantic World

It is time for YOU to share the love up-close with YOUR

I Heart Macro offerings!


Enjoy slowing down with your camera, paying full attention, observing beauty and curiosities many people pass right by. Your generosity of spirit and keen eyes may open the door to miniscule miracles and mirth others would not have access to otherwise. Feel free to include poetry, prose and thoughts your macro photo or series inspire(s) in you. Writing is completely optional for participation. Straight out of the camera (SOC), edited, color, black and white, anything goes as long as you bring the viewer near to whatever it is that drew your heart's attention and "woke you up" to full presence.

Please link back to my blog either by copying and pasting the button provided above on your post, or by linking the words "I Heart Macro" back to my blog with this link:

shinethedivinecreativityisaspiritualpractice.com.

By sharing the link, visitors to your blog will learn about this meme and have a chance to participate as well if they so choose. 

Visit each other...

S  p  r  e  a  d  the  LOVE. Thanks :-)

linking to:

real toads

nature notes

makro montag

macro monday 2

skywatchfriday

the weekend in black and white
camera critters

weekend reflections

today's flowers

our world tuesday

haiku my heart

The I Heart Macro Linky opens tonight, 

Sunday evening at 8pm EST

and remains open for you to share your close-up images all week long.