Reflections on abundance @ Saver Queen

Reflections on abundance

Posted on July 12th, 2009 Saver Queen 15 comments

After a wonderful trip to Newfoundland, I returned to my apartment with a heavy heart. Unsurprisingly, I am profoundly aware that someone is missing, and I would be lying if I pretended that I am not full of sadness over this loss. I’ve also realized, though, that a lot of people are going through challenges right now. The recession has meant that people who have worked long and hard, who have made sensible financial decisions and have attempted to mitigate risk well, are still in troubling circumstances. And tough economic times strain our relationships, too. I know I’m not the only one who is facing a difficult time and who is rethinking the future, or questioning the past. The best we can do is to accept that life is not straight-forward; there is no clear cut path to so-called success. We can do our best to work hard and make good decisions, but rarely does the future appear just as we’ve planned. This is, it seems, both a hard lesson to learn and a fact of life.

I try to stay focused on the present as best I can, and recognize the impermanence of this moment. Life is changing - it changes constantly. Things we take for granted become but memories, and angst we feel disappears into something new.

I am not trying to stop myself from feeling sadness, but rather I am seeking an opportunity to simultaneously discover abundance. Abundance means, to me, appreciating the brilliance and wonder of our surroundings. Smells, sights, textures, tastes. Kindness, innocence, forgiveness, authenticity. Diversity, opportunity, freedom, surprise. I think the quest to seek abundance in our lives is a good one to have, particularly during difficult financial times. Instead of seeking a new car, TV or wardrobe to make us feel successful, sexy, or happy, we may come to realize that we are quite capable of experiencing life’s riches without spending a dime.

My trip to Newfoundland was a perfect exploration of all these things. Newfoundland is a place where people epitomize genuineness and random acts of kindness are performed on a daily, if not hourly basis. A sense of community can be found anywhere, and is extended to outsiders throughout a willingness to share and be open. Most people treated us as though we’d long been best friends.

The land is vast, wild and free. It’s so wild and raw in some parts it borders on awe-inspiring, almost frightening, untamed wildness. And yet it produces such a strange juxtoposition of gentle beauty, its wild flowers growing with determination out of a rocky, unforgiving land. The weather is full of surprises; an early morning of rain and bone-chilling winds quickly turn into a warm and hospitable summer day. Moose, bald eagles, jelly fish and friendly whales crop up without warning, revealing too the unpredictability of nature, frequently repaying those who pay it respect with the currency of patience.

The rugged land has charged its inhabitants with years of incomprehensible sacrifice, pain and hard work - drudgery - in return for survival. The pain that its early inhabitants endured only serves to remind me that suffering has always been a part of the universal human condition; that countless people before me have invested much, much more into stakes that never came to fruition, that disappointment and loneliness have accompanied every soul that has ever lived.

And so, a few pictures to share (some of my favourites)

Wild Iris, covered in dew drops on the coast of Cape Spear

Black Horse beer, consumed in St. John’s.

Old fishing shed on the water at Trinity.

Lilacs and a white picket fence at a home in Trinity. (Can’t you just smell them?)

Baby beluga whale near Princeton. I took this picture from the side of the boat as he frolicked and played with us.

Wild flowers on Walker’s Trail in Tickle Cove.

Dock in Trinity

Basement window of a home in Trinity

Puffins, seemingly having a bit of a chat, at the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve

Lobster traps in Trinity

Buttercups against the peeling paint of a house in Trinity

I have many more favourites that will be making their appearance on flickr soon.

Enjoy whatever abundance is in your life today!

Frugal luxuries, Philosophy, Recession, Simple abundance
15 responses to “Reflections on abundance”
1. Amber July 12th, 2009 at 14:25
  
  This is just … beautiful. The photos, your thoughts, all of it.
  
  To abundance!
2. ter July 12th, 2009 at 14:30
  
  beautiful photos, thanks for sharing!
3. Elizabeth B July 12th, 2009 at 14:47
  
  Ah, those are just absolutely lovely. Thank you. Your photos make me want to visit Newfoundland, but since I live in California, that would be quite an excursion.
4. Brenda July 12th, 2009 at 16:00
  
  Thanks for sharing your thoughts and beautiful pics - and good to have you back blogging. Hope the picnic in the park went well yesterday. I had planned on going, but had a chance to meet Gail in Sudbury (much closer), so I didn’t get to Toronto.
5. Erran July 12th, 2009 at 16:10
  
  Glad to have you back deary. Keep fighting the good fight. It seems that regardless of your current challenge, your maturity is shining through…or at least you’re trying to have it shine through. I hope your trip was a bit of re-energizer. Some nice pictures. You saw puffins?! Awesome! Such beautiful creatures, and I’ve always had a fondness for their uniqueness. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and giving us a glimpse into your world again.
  
  “…but rarely does the future appear just as we’ve planned”
  Amen sista…amen…
6. Erran July 12th, 2009 at 16:11
  
  Oh, and it totally sucks that I couldn’t make it to the Gail & SQ show (i.e. BBQ). All the good stuff happens outside of Winnipeg.
7. Sue Caissy July 13th, 2009 at 04:43
  
  Hallo There,
  Hugs and it’s good to see you back and sharing your trip…what an awesome place Newfoundland must be. Seems like time stands still in such places. Over 2 yrs ago I read a book called, “Theatre of Fish” by John Gimlette…early Newfoundland and Labrador history and a very entertaining read…well worth it methinks if you can find it.
  Look forward to your next musings,
  Sue
  xx
8. H-U-G July 13th, 2009 at 11:17
  
  Beautiful pictures! It was great meeting you last Saturday. Thanks again for organizing it.
  
  My husband and I are planning on visiting Newfoundland and the surrounding areas. But it will have to wait till the girls are a bit older. We’d like them to remember the moment. Its a beautiful place from what i hear.
  
  Thanks for sharing. Till next time.
  
  Haidee
9. Dawn July 13th, 2009 at 12:05
  
  Lovely photos! I’m with Elizabeth B., it makes me want to go there. I am glad it was such a restful, peaceful trip for you.
10. Christine July 13th, 2009 at 18:56
  
  What beautiful photos! Thank you for sharing. I know you needed the time… and more time will help heal the heart. Hang in there. Your happy feeling will return.
11. Kate July 14th, 2009 at 09:06
  
  There is something inherently cheer-inducing about puffins!
12. Nancy July 14th, 2009 at 10:01
  
  You are an old soul, Megan dearest. Your reflections are beautifully insightful, and full of truth. Your photos are breath taking. You have a unique and rare gift of looking at this life of yours from a wise, spiritual perspective. Thank you for sharing it with us.
13. Melaniesd July 18th, 2009 at 10:17
  
  You have a wonderful eye! Keep up the good work!
14. Michelle July 20th, 2009 at 06:37
  
  Ahhhh, real Buttercups! I can’t wait to get ‘home’ in August now, thanks for the beautiful sights and words about my Nfld SQ. Quite a surprise to discover all that has happened in your life, but you know what? You’re such a soulful, thoughtful woman, and I know that after some deep reflection and introspect, you’re going to grow even more from this, pain, laughter, and all.
  Enjoy Sweden, and I look forward to catching up when you get back.
  M
15. Moving on @ Saver Queen June 13th, 2010 at 11:01
  
  [...] rose bushes as you can see above. Wild roses are my favourite. I first discovered them on a hike in Newfoundland: Wild Rose in Tickle Cove, [...]
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