Recognizing my Limitations

Summary

Sandy Barrett reflects on personal growth and the beauty of nature through a series of photographs and personal anecdotes, emphasizing resilience and the importance of perspective.

Abstract

In a personal essay accompanied by a collection of photographs, Sandy Barrett shares her experiences of discovering small wonders in nature while navigating life's challenges. She encounters a well-camouflaged walking stick, a whimsical frog artist, and her late mother's fairy homes, which she integrates into her garden. Despite struggles with invasive plants and her own visual impairment, Barrett finds joy in the details, such as a bee in a monkey grass bloom and the beauty of crepe myrtle. She participates in a photo-a-day challenge to remain mindful of life's splendor, acknowledging the support of fellow authors and the therapeutic environment of her surroundings.

Opinions

Barrett expresses a deep appreciation for the natural world, noting the surprise encounter with a walking stick and the importance of maintaining native plants.
She values the whimsy and joy that unexpected art can bring, as seen in her reaction to the frog artist and her mother's fairy village.
Barrett acknowledges the therapeutic value of her surroundings, especially the offices of therapists near the duck pond, suggesting a belief in the healing power of nature and art.
Despite her visual limitations, she chooses to share her reality through her photographs, embracing imperfection and encouraging others to find beauty in their unique perspectives.
Participation in the photo-a-day challenge is seen as a way to cultivate awareness and gratitude, with Barrett expressing thanks to the challenge's originator and regular contributors.

Recognizing my Limitations

And yet still learning to grow

This little treasure surprised me by hopping off a branch of an invasive shrub I was cutting down in my side yard to make room for the native plants and trees that are there. It has been a long hot, damp summer, and if I don’t keep on top of these noxious weeds, they will choke out the natives. But this little one was nearly invisible to me one the shrub as he blended in so perfectly. I was glad to see that he wasn’t harmed.

Artist unknown-both of the sculpture and this frog! ©Sandy Barrett 2021

Back on my walk on a break from work this week and I came across this frog artist painting a garden scene in front of the duck pond. Once again, the whimsy of the subject brought a smile to my face. Many of the offices in this complex are therapists, I hope the setting does bring joy to people who may have their own demons they may be struggling with.

Mom’s fairy village ©Sandy Barrett 2021

When my mom passed away early last year she had these little fairy homes on a tree trunk in her yard. I’m not usually into cutesy garden art, but it reminded me of her. I tried putting them in a tree trunk in my garden, but they kept getting lost. One day it struck me that I could combine memories of young and old by putting her pieces in my son's old red rider wagon that I keep in the garden (he’s 22 now).

My yard is about 1 1/2 acres, a good portion of which is wooded. But since moving here over 10 years ago, I have divided this monkey grass every year, and it spreads like wildfire. I use it as borders in the whole yards, and the pollinators, mostly bees, love the blooms! Look closely in the middle flower; you can see just the bottom of one digging in deep to a bud.

The crepe myrtle above and the tree trunk below are part of the reason why I have taken so long to join the #photo-a-day-challenge even though I have been admiring the other author’s posts. My eyes are not great and yet don’t seem to be bad enough for a prescription glass that would correct the issue. So in the past, I would be hesitant to post pictures like these because they aren’t crisp and clear like other people’s. But this is my reality; this is often how I see, at least for now, until I find a Dr. with a better answer. I know I’m not the only one, and every day I see beauty in nature.