“You should stop and take a photo” my friend says this time, more firmly than the first.

You see I’m back taking a photo a day again. Back wandering through life with my eyes open to moments I can capture. Back looking to lock memories of each day into still form. Back prepared to stop for the perfect picture, or so I thought.

On this day I wouldn’t have stopped if not for the insistence of my friend. On this day I would have missed this photo which connects so many memories of the day.

When it comes to taking photos, slowing down, and stopping, are polar opposites. I can slow the car down and think ‘that would be a nice photo’, but it never will be a nice photo without stopping.

It’s the same in life I am discovering. While Tammy was sick we would spend hours with her, sitting on the floor and just hanging out with her. We were prepared to stop. Stop everything. To spend precious moments with her.

Now that our journey together is over, I am finding life accelerating to break neck speed.

I barely slow down.

Let alone stop.

I’m not sure that is healthy.

∴

I’m always busy. Always have too much to do. I always will, its in my DNA.

However while Tammy was sick, it amazed me how we as a team could make time for her. My priorities changed and caused other insignificant tasks to not get done. And it didn’t matter because stopping was more important than tasks.

Like photography I’m reminded that stopping to care for people, is the polar opposite, to slowing down.

Maybe, like me, you need to remember that today.

Maybe you need to STOP.