Simplicity

Things are so complex. Or, aren't they? We tend to view life as being way more complex than it really is. Most of it breaks down into simple truths that we learned long ago. Why don't we just apply those truths, that we already know, and stop happening through life as if it's some sort of mystery? Yeah, sure...we will run across situations where we might not know the exact plan of action we should take. However, we probably know a place to start and from there, we can figure out the next step. Taking small bites out of life allows us to eat more. (in this one instance, it's a good thing to eat more). What is that first step, or small bite, in a situation in life that you can begin to surmount?

Bruce A. Ulrich
1,000 Words Photography
http://bruceaulrich.zenfolio.com
Sent from my iPad

A Year Ago Today...

Sleep deprivation was setting in. Adrenaline was running at an all-time high. Worry and anxiety were shown on my face.
My first and only son was coming this day a year ago. We found out at about 11:00 the night before, and went to the hospital to get checked out. They said Rebecca was close enough and that they would like to keep us there over night. Translation: get 1.5 hours of sleep for one of the biggest days of your life.

Things progressed nicely the next day, and it was time to get the epidural for my sweet wife. From that point on, the day was almost a blur. I remember talking to some family and I remember studying that monitor for my boy's heartbeat, as well as his mother's, closely.
The doctor comes in, checks Rebecca out and discovers that Alan's cord is wrapped around his neck. This was the culprit of the low heart beat every time a contraction came. With some medical maneuvering, they were able to fix the heart rate dropping issue, and therefore, eased my mind a bit.

Only a couple of hours after that, we met Alan. Our sweet, wonderful Alan! He was there...right there in front of both of us. He was crying, which we knew was good, and then they took him from us. He was put under the heat lamp as they examined him. I rushed over there to see what all of the fuss was about. The doctors were worried at his sluggishness. He was quite lethargic for the first few minutes after he was born. Come to find out, the little thing was just worn out. That labor had been tough on him, and he needed to rest.

When we finally held him in our arms...in the silence and solitude of our hospital room...we realized that all of this ordeal was totally worth it. To see this little life there in our arms...to hear his little coos and grunts...it melted us, both of us.

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Color Finally

Our bougainvillea finally has some color on it. These interesting little plants are known for their pinks, purples and yellow. However, the reason they're so interesting is that it is not the flower of the plant that provides the color...it is the leaves. After many green leaves come out, finally some colored ones, in this case pink, to liven up the scene. We were not sure if ours would do it this year because this was a hold-over plant from last year. We kept it alive in the garage during the winter. It appears that they just take longer to "bloom" when they're not given the greenhouse treatment from the nursery.

Bruce A. Ulrich
1,000 Words Photography
http://bruceaulrich.zenfolio.com
Sent from my iPad

Once, Always

You hear the saying "Once a mother, always a mother," often enough in everyday life. It is one of those chides that only has meaning to those of us who are parents. For me, this has not been long. Therefore, until recently, I never truly knew what that meant. Now, I do. As I stood in our friend's house, watching my wife hold their new little baby, it hit me...Once a mother, always a mother. My wife held that baby and her face just had that, "I'll do whatever I can to take care of you, Little One," look to it. I love catching glimpses like is. They are such a treat.

Bruce A. Ulrich
1,000 Words Photography
http://bruceaulrich.zenfolio.com
Sent from my iPad

The World Before Me

Recently, my son began to crawl like this. All of the sudden, he would just get up on his hands and feet and he'd lumber along. He's gotten quite fast at it, in just a matter of days. I am just a little bit scared because I know the next logical step from here is for him to just let go with his hands and full-out walk. Yikes!

I don't think I'm ready for that.

Bruce A. Ulrich
1,000 Words Photography
http://bruceaulrich.zenfolio.com
Sent from my iPad

Loneliness & Solitude

Often, we think about loneliness as being a bad thing. At times, there is no other way to see it, but I'm here to tell you that there are other ways to look at loneliness. Solitude occurs in most of our lives, probably at many points in our lives. This is not necessarily a reason to be glum. Rather, think about this morning glory flower. It stands there, blooming its little heart out, and for what? No other flowers are around to socialize with. Nobody else is around for it to talk to. Think of this though...it's the prettiest thing around by far. Nothing else nearby even comes close to the beauty of this little flower...even in its loneliness and solitude.

Bruce A. Ulrich
1,000 Words Photography
http://bruceaulrich.zenfolio.com
Sent from my iPad

Admiration

Do you admire someone so much that even just being near them seems like a treat to you? How about if they ever gave you anything...would you treasure it, just because of the kind of person they are?

My son admires me dearly. I definitely don't take this for granted, because I really want him to continue admiring me throughout his life. I want to be the kind of person and dad that he CAN admire, as well as one that he WANTS to admire. What does this entail? It might be as simple as him always knowing how much I love him, just by my spoken word. It might be as simple as a meaningful tough or hug. Maybe even teaching him things that he will remember for the rest of his life? I plan on doing all of that...and more. Are you somebody that people admire? What can you do to become that person?

Bruce A. Ulrich
1,000 Words Photography
http://bruceaulrich.zenfolio.com
Sent from my iPad