It’s been a strange week, one that’s made me feel grateful for my family and our health. Last week, my daughter fell from her bike and fractured her collar bone. She lives in Melbourne, on the other side of the country, so I flew over to be with her.
My daughter knows that I worry about her cycling around the city. I’ve heard and seen drivers’ intolerance of cyclists, and I know how easy it is to forget to check for someone coming past on a bike. If there’s an accident, there’s nothing between a cyclist and the bitumen, and bones get broken. Or worse.
But the bottom line is, her bone will heal, and I know that. The week or two she loses won’t matter—it will be nothing in the scheme of things. She still has her health and her future. I’ve heard lots of sad news lately—of families coping with illnesses that will take much more than a sling to heal, and of a mother living with an illness which won’t heal.
This lone leaf speaks to me. It’s still there, hanging on for dear life despite the winter.
Monique’s been busy at home, and spent most of yesterday’s chilly winter afternoon indoors, catching up on writing and editing. The skies took on a gloomy cast as a brief rain shower wet the earth, and then the sun pushed its way between the clouds. That was when she grabbed the camera to make the most of the light. She chose this photo because she loved the way the light shimmers across the water droplets. It’s an unusual angle of a leaf, and the light is more important than the form, but ultimately it’s the form of the droplets that shines.
I love the colour and the shine, too, and also how abstract this photo is. You’d barely know it was a leaf and the water looks as if it’s bubbling, as if it’s alive. Bravo, Monique!
About Midweek Moment:
Monique Mulligan and I are writers who share a passion for photography. As a digression from the written word, we share our favourite photos each week in ‘Midweek Moment’. Please click over to Monique’s website to view more of her photography and to read her writing. If you’d like to see more of our moments, click here.
We hope you enjoy!