Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Suffering and Joy


"I cannot believe that the inscrutable universe turns on an axis of suffering; surely the strange beauty of the world must somewhere rest on pure joy!"
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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello DJ, and Welcome Back, and sorry for your loss. I suppose it is too much to expect for you to return and just pick up where you left after your father has just died. But judging from what I have seen from your blog, the miraculous landscape of that island will provide some of the balm for your soul that it needs.

With this, a heartfelt Thank You for all those wonderful photos. I have been traveling and taking pictures in quite a few 'grand' landscapes, although mostly east of the Atlantic, and I have always enjoyed your photos of life and landscape. They are, alas, very good, and you have a phantastic feeling for color and atmosphere. Myself, I live on another coast, in Northern Germany... it is different here, although sometimes light and colors are similar. Besides, I was on Assateague once, so I have a 'live' impression of your side of the Atlantic seabord as well. Welcome back, again, and all my best wishes for you to find back to another normality that may encompass your loss and may not be too far from the normality you know.

From over here, all the very very best, Steve K.

11:38 AM
Barrier Island Girl said...

Thank you so much, Steve. It's such a wonder to me -- and quite thrilling -- that people so far away occasionally stumble upon my little blog. Your kind words are very much appreciated.

You mentioned Assateague, so, of course, I had to look it up. What a fascinating place -- another barrier island, in my own country no less, and I was totally unfamiliar with it! Can you imagine the fantastic photo opportunities if one could get close enough to the wild horses.

Here are some links to cut-n-paste if any of my readers would like to check out Assateague Island National Seashore:

http://www.nps.gov/archive/asis/horses.htm

http://www.nps.gov/asis/

http://www.assateagueisland.com/

3:25 PM
Anonymous said...

In Acts 9:15, (yes, it's me quoting
Scripture) it is written that Saul was a chosen instrument, (a reluctant one to be sure) and God said "I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." Maybe, my dear friend, that is our heritage from God to get our attention to know what our gifts may be that we can share with others. We often run from that which we are not willing to accept because of fear of unknown. If we could embrace all that comes into our life, whether sadness or joy, we might realize what lessons we need to learn. It may be, for some of us, that such suffering can be a foundation necessary to lead us to joy.

Just a thought!

1:42 PM
Anonymous said...

DJ, thanks for your kind words, and for those links, they give a good impression. I've been around a lot, in western China lately, will be in Arctic Finland in two weeks (they had -24F the other day...), but Assateague provided some of my most beautiful memories. Visually... and the sound of the whinnying of those ponies carried on the seawind. I have seldom heard something as wild and free. I'm up over my ears in stuff right now, but if I get around to digging up a photo or two, I'll put them on the net and let you know. Meanwhile, theres a book tip, although it's a children's book, but it's set right there: Misty of Chincoteague, by Marguerite Henry, cf. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misty_of_Chincoteague

All the very best, Steve K.

4:37 PM

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