Rediscovering simple pleasures
I have been struggling with my mental health lately. I have been losing my ability to take pleasure in anything, including spending time with my partner, taking photographs, making any kind of art at all, or doing much more than doom-scrolling TikTok. It is honestly taking all the energy that I have to survive my day job, and at present there doesn’t really feel like there’s bandwidth for anything anymore.
A dear friend of mine came over to visit over this weekend and we decided that because we are both struggling with melancholy that we should try to take advantage of the sunshine outside. So we went to Burns Bog, which is a nature reserve in Delta, BC, and we took our time to really be present in the park. We touched the trees. We stood in silence in the sunshine and let it soak into our skin.
And for the first time in a really long time, I found myself belly-laughing. I don’t remember the last time I had a true belly-laugh.
Please enjoy a small sample of the images that I made while we were there.
Image Description: A tree stump located in a marshy area. On top of the stump are two rusted spent 12 gauge shotgun shells. One is team and one is red. The background is out of focus and has other spent teal shells scattered around.
Image Description: A large puddle reflecting pure blue sky and a mixture of bare and pine trees circling the frame.
Image Description: A close-up of a cedar tree, showcasing a wide variety of textures and layers of bark. Green cedar fronts border the sides and background of the frame.