Reflection

The word on my mind today is reflection and all possible meanings. My thoughts on this word came in a series of flashes, starting as I awoke and growing as I type nine hours later. Our lives are a series of reflections, sometimes building on one another, other times blending in, and occasionally just disappearing. As the word grew in my mind throughout the course of the day, some reflections came on suddenly, astounding me. Others crept in slowly and I could not draw myself away.

For a few minutes today, I sat under our front tree for the first time since the days before Ava passed away. I watched the light reflecting off the leaves and branches on to the green grass, just as I did with her months ago. She wanted to be outside whenever she could and we sat under this umbrella of a tree watching the sun dance around us.

I recalled watching our reflections in the window on dance party nights, laughing at our funny actions as we spun our cares away. Then there was Ava’s expression in the mirror at her appearance as she prepared for her last Father-Daughter Dance, she felt beautiful and it showed in her smile. I captured this reflection with my camera.

 

“As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.” Proverbs 27:19

Ava left a reflection on this world, not just physically but emotionally. She left a bright colorful reflection of caring, funny, and happy and I love sharing it. Today we met with the painter for Ava’s Garden sign and as I talked about Ava and her spirit, I found a little happy glow building inside like the reflection of a candle in a dark room. Her reflection will always be a part of me and I will share it as often as I can because she made me a better person.

I want to leave a reflection on the world. I believe that even a wounded heart can be receptive and open enough to let out a little light. Even if all I can do is, share my feelings as I ride the waves of grief. Maybe there is one person that I can shine a little light upon in their journey through life. Maybe that little glow I felt today will become a big glow for the entire world to see.

“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it”. -Edith Wharton

To fully absorb the word that came to me and stayed with me all day, I took a moment to look up the definition to see what meanings I might be missing. This word, this one word has so many meanings yet we often focus on just one, typically the one right in front of us at the moment. Life is similar, often we focus on what is right in front of us at the moment and we forget to take in the full view including the reflections around us.

re·flec·tion             rəˈflekSH(ə)n/

noun: reflection

the throwing back by a body or surface of light, heat, or sound without absorbing it.

“the reflection of light”

an amount of light, heat, or sound that is reflected by a body or surface.

“the reflections from the streetlights gave us just enough light”

an image seen in a mirror or shiny surface.

“Marianne surveyed her reflection in the mirror”

a thing that is a consequence of or arises from something else.

“a healthy skin is a reflection of good health in general”

a thing bringing discredit to someone or something.

“it was a sad reflection on society that because of his affliction he was picked on”

MATHEMATICS

the conceptual operation of inverting a system or event with respect to a plane, each element being transferred perpendicularly through the plane to a point the same distance the other side of it.

serious thought or consideration.

“after some reflection, he turned it down”

an idea about something, especially one that is written down or expressed.

“write down your reflections”