Reflection

See this image... take it in. Understand the beauty of this world, and how it speaks to you. This image speaks to me on a level I cannot fully put to words. But I will try...

Reflection... Let me reflect for a moment.

I define myself by what drives me, what wakes me in the morning, what pushes me through my hardest of days... love! My love for humanity, my love for my family, my love for myself. I define myself as a philanthropist. Everything I do is a direct reflection of the very essence of Me! People call me "nice" ... people see me as a "nice person." Some may even use the word, altruistic. I've been referred to as a philanthropist, a humanitarian, a good person. I can agree with this, for the most part. But I do not think anyone is truly altruistic. I give my all to the people I encounter on a daily basis... whether it be a family member, a friend, a lover, a stranger, a person in need... I give my all! But I can not say I give without receiving just as much in return.

It makes me feel good to be able to help others. I crave a kind of connection to my fellow human beings. I require a certain level of connection to people. I have to fulfill certain needs. I need to give love as much as I need to receive it. I need to feel love to feel that I am alive. To live without love, well, it is not living.

When I look at the image above, I am mesmerized. The image is quite simple... it is the refection of a perfect sky... and it takes my breath away every time my eyes fix on it. The sky is a thing of beauty. But its reflection onto the clear, crisp water only shows what it wants you to see. That is the problem with reflections. I can reflect on my soft exterior. I can reflect on my tortured interior. I can reflect on anything my heart desires. But I will only let you see what I want you to see. And you may not ever see what I'm hiding.

I did not take this picture. I do not know where it was taken. I do not know if it was photo-shopped. I do not know anything but what my eyes can see. Just as you will only know about me what I tell you. Though I am an open book, and I tend to share more than I should, I admit, right here - right now, that I do not share my every emotion. I do not share every thought that enters my mind. I say I am an open book, but sometimes I need to be prodded. Sometimes I keep things to myself... until I am asked to share.

The colors of this image could very well have been enhanced... just as my beauty is often enhanced by makeup. This photograph doesn't give me any clue as to where it was taken or who took it. But, do I need to know any of that to appreciate its beauty? NO. I don't care if it was enhanced. I don't need to know where it came from or anything but what I see to fall in love with it. All I know is how I feel when I look at it... its every facet. All I know, is when I look at this image, I feel at peace. I feel my heart flutter... my pulse race, then slow down. I feel admiration, I feel love. I love the way this image makes me feel. And if I had the choice, I'd post this image up everywhere. ... But, if I did that, would it be just as special? Would I appreciate its beauty... if it were everywhere I looked? Or would I eventually get sick of looking at it? Would it's vibrant colors dull over time? Would it lose its majestic beauty? Again, my answer is NO.

I am emphatically sure that I will never grow tired of this image. Its colors will not dull in my eyes. Its beauty, to me, will never fade. It will never lose its meaning. It will never cease to amaze me or fill me with wonder.

If I can love a photograph with such resolve, imagine the love I have for my friends, my family, for humanity, for myself! Imagine the love I have, that I am waiting to share with someone worthy.