Enough is an often underrated word. Who wants to be described as, “enough”, or “good enough”? We often see it as meaning much the same as, “you will do”. However recently I have been meeting the word time and again in a much more positive context.
First, beginning a few months ago, I began seeing posts entitled, “I am enough” from Tracey Clark’s blog. Wonderful posts from women telling themselves and the World that they ARE enough. We dont’ always see our own enough-ness. We see our faults, our shortcomings, our not-quite-good-right but we don’t see. Too often we don’t see our skills, our abilities, the fact we make a soddin’ great cup of tea. We don’t see that we matter to those in our lives.
We ARE enough. Each of us. We all have something. It might not be the same as someone else we know and admire. It might be a different something to everyone else in our family or friends and perhaps that makes us thing our enough isn’t good enough, it’s not the enough that matters. This isn’t the case.
A second type of enough came to me today as well. I friend posted a link to an article about having a disabled child, coping and HAVING enough, The Atlantic – What My Son’s Disabilities Taught Me About Having it All by Marie Myung-Ok Lee.
This article, if you can get the site to work for you, it seems to be having a funny moment as I write this, is a wonderful account to parenting a disabled young person and recognising ENOUGH. Lee speaks of not dwelling on what isn’t and seeing and recognising what IS. This is something I know is helpful to me. Anyone who has read any of my posts knows there are times when I am painfully aware of what ISN’T and what CAN’T.
Where we can’t go, what we can’t do, what 13 can’t do.
These times ARE painful. When I focus on loss on lack I upset myself, when I focus on what IS, what CAN, I am happier and more at ease. When I appreciate I have enough I KNOW that is true. I HAVE enough.
Now, some pictures.
All images © L. McG.-E. All rights reserved.
© 2012, Penbleth / L. McG.-E.. All rights reserved.
Dawn Tucker - Love the white photos. Such a simple but striking idea. However my personal favourite is the one with the shot of yellow in it.
Thanks for the thoughts about “enough”. It’s good to be reminded to see the positives in things or to just be content that what we have is indeed enough.
On a side note, we have a new 12 week old Golden Lab puppy as a new addition to our family. Being the handful that she is, is certainly “enough” for any of us!
Penbleth - Thank you Dawn. I thought the single petaled begonia really stood out from the pot of all the multi-petaled ones.
You will have your hands full with the Lab. 17 is keen for us to go back to having a dog but I think I have had enough poop to deal with to last me a lifetime. Enjoy her.
Catherine - Strangely I was more or less thinking about this myself today..”am I enough?”A four hour dog walk in the woods didn’t produce any positive answers and I still couldn’t tell any one anything definite.But I read your post,as ever,with interest and have discovered some new blogs to trawl through.So thank you.
Your photos are gorgeous and I love the black and white take on “white”…so obvious really.I always love the pure simplicity of your images as they tell so much.Less is more as they say.
Regarding you and the daisy I was sprawled on the road the other day taking ,or trying to take, pictures of a Slow Worm so I can identify with you on that one.
x
Kimberley McGill - That focus certainly makes a differnce – on what is enough, what we can do – I’m now unable to work because of chronic pain and it has made a difference for me. I can only imagine what your experiences are raising a child with an ability issue!
As always, such gorgeous photos!
Penbleth - I know it isn’t always easy to see ourselves uncritically. The other posts are so inspiring, truthfully and sometimes painfully written.
I would have done exactly the same with the slow worm, they always remind me of our cat, he used to have one as a pet.
Penbleth - The writer of The Atlantic article is further, much further, along this journey of recognising she has enough and being content in her situation than am I. I recognise that when I focus on what I perceive I don’t have it breeds discontent so I am going to endeavour to change that.
I’m sorry you had to give up works because of pain, that is bound to impact your thinking and feelings of yourself. Hopefully your photography is giving you something to realise you still have worth.
Thank you for your kind words.