By the Month: A Photo Documentary of Mt. Olympus

I never wrote anything about my 2021 goals. I actually had decided on a focus (Be Still), and I had a bunch of goal contenders that I was giving careful thought to. I even had a few goals that I had already finalized and started to implement and work on. But before I could get a definitive plan in place, Aaron's bone marrow crashed, and all of my ambitions seemed rather trivial, and I honestly didn't have the mental bandwidth to even think about them

But I had one fun idea at the beginning of the year, and rather amazingly, I stuck with it throughout the entire twelve months. I chose a location (two, actually), and I took a photo from this same spot during each month in 2021. The idea was to just be more observant of my surroundings and appreciate the subtle changes that happen throughout the seasons.

The first location was just a little private path that I often walk or drive past. My favorite photo is actually the one from March. It doesn't look like much, but I can actually feel the season changing from winter to spring when I look at it. The ground is giving off that awakening scent and the buds on the trees are swelling and the sunshine is tinged with warmth, and everything feels like it's right on the cusp. 

The second location was my beloved Mt. Olympus. I chose a spot that had a clear view of the mountain, unobstructed by houses or buildings. The interesting thing about these photos is that they are only representative of one day out of an entire month, and I have found that the mountain looks very different depending on the day as well as the time. For something that stands so still, it is surprising how many looks it has. It is a living testimony to me of the craftsmanship and creativity of God. The saddest photo in this roundup is August. I waited all month to try to get a clear photo of the mountain, but it was covered in smoke from fires for most of the time.

I'd highly recommend this little exercise to anyone who wants to give greater attention to the transformative beauty of the things right in front of you. I know I picked up on lots of little details I never would have noticed otherwise, and it was amazing how gratitude naturally followed. I love where I live.