Glass Half-Fullness

Today, a co-worker exclaimed during a meeting, "Crystal, you are such a glass half-full person!" I took it as a great compliment. I am definitely a person who looks at situations and tries to see its possibilities and opportunities instead of what's missing or its challenges. It would be so depressing to look at life and fail to see its beauty and grace, seeing only ugliness. While it is easy to see what is lacking, it is more challenging to re-train our eyes (and our spirits) to see the truth before us -- life is more about creation than destruction, hope than despair, joy than sorrow.

After 25 years, one of my greatest reinforcers of this life philosophy -- The Oprah Winfrey Show -- will air its final episodes this week. While Oprah herself may be a polarizing figure, even her critics can agree that through her show she has helped millions of people around the world live their own lives differently. Each season, she inspired her viewers to see the world as a half-full. In spite of her own tumultuous childhood, Oprah grew into an empowered, resilient person and discovered how to turn life's lemons into lemonade. Her television show featured similar stories of ordinary people who faced extraordinary circumstances and chose to grab life's opportunities rather than succumbing to its obstacles. Like Oprah and her guests, I chose to be an example of glass half-fullness and seek out the life's color and richness by not dwelling on life's half-empty glasses.

Here Comes the Sun

Maybe I shouldn't out myself, but I love taking photos of the sun peaking out from behind trees. Whenever the opportunity presents itself, out comes my camera to capture the bright spot of sunlight between branches. My fascination is similar to photographers who love photographing sun rays through clouds or spectacular sunrises or sunsets. While a challenging shot to compose and light correctly, the bright spot in the image serves as visual proof of Creator's presence in that moment, illuminating the beauty of the scene for my camera.

Tree in Yellow

The Washington, DC metro area is known for its scenic drives. During fall, my favorite drive is the George Washington Memorial Parkway. In between Key Bridge and the Beltway, GW Parkway is lined with trees on one side and the Potomac River on the other. In autumn, it is hard to pay attention when driving due to the distraction of so many beautiful trees with their yellow, red and orange leaves. Thankfully, Potomac Overlook Regional Park allows visitors to walk through these trees and enjoy views like this one without endangering ourselves and other drivers.

Daylight Moon

While walking through Potomac Overlook Regional Park on Sunday enjoying the autumn leaves, I looked up and noticed that the moon was still in the sky. Luckily, I found the perfect vantage point to capture it with my camera and this photograph is the result.