Moments In Time...

Days as kids never ended; like that bowl of pasta that somehow grows the more you eat. I never needed to chase after time on an ordinary day. We lived in harmony, with the occasional fight here and there. Three months felt like a lifetime and each season felt like its own year. Each one gifting me new thoughts and moments. The older I grew, however, my friendship with time began to drift apart. We began to fight more. It typically left me tumbling to keep up, feeling the humor of drawn-out days being thrown at me, making my path that much more of a marathon. So now I look back on those days with gratitude and awe. To live in a world of childhood imagination and teenage adventures! I have now arrived at a new stage. I have arrived at those quickly escaping days and the years that skip by with a wave of memories. Days that I make sure to capture in photographs, written words, and minutes of allowing myself to look back with fond appreciation, but releasing the thoughts of “should have been” and “if only”. To see the days for what they are, of special moments to never repeat, no matter how hard I try. Minutes that I could plan for, but never truly predict. As I tread over the memoirs of my previous month that said hello and goodbye all within a breath, I am left with the excitement of a new brush stroke added to my painting. That painting has slowly been becoming more detailed the longer I work and quicker the more I learn the art of this crazy life.

Journal Entry 1

July 4th 2023

Another beautiful day. The sun rose and the heat made it clear to everyone that it wanted attention. I woke up a little later than normal since it was a national holiday and all. My alarm sounded around 7:30 am and I lazily lay there engulfed in my pillow and comforter, drawing out as much of my sleep as I could. I eventually climbed down from my bed. I texted my friend and then sprung for the bathroom, finally ready to start my day. I dug in my closet to find that outfit that said “patriotic, but casual and subtle”. Jeans (despite the heat), a white tank top, and a red and white hat all sewn together with my faded old Converse. After a leisurely morning, my friend came and picked me up and we headed off on an adventure to find coffee and breakfast. Coffee was acquired and a new smoothie place was discovered. Soon after our enjoyable conversations, we ventured to the next task of the day. A group formed of more of us girls at my friend's house where we expanded our horizons and pushed our limits by taking part in a cold plunge. It was quite an enjoyable experience and I would do it again if I do say so. After the chill of the water and the breath of the sun, we embarked on a hidden surf spot where we all paddled out together. I would never classify myself as a surfer by any means, but after a respectable session of dancing water and a bashful sun, the wave and I rode hand in hand to the shore allowing me to glide gracefully over its back. Many more conversations were had and smiles were passed around. We all then embarked on our last and final journey of the day. We went home to change and found yet another noteworthy patriotic ensemble to then all meet up at my friends for burgers (veggie for me obviously), dancing to country music, and watching fireworks ignite the sky over their backyard fence. It was a memorable day and I was happy to have shared it with such wonderful people. But, that is all I have time for, I’ll write more later. - Dru

Journal Entry 2

July 10th 2023

Well, it has been a few days since I have been able to write. A lot has happened, yet not much at all. I flew to Colorado Saturday morning - it is now Monday. We have been spending time with family and today we had the pleasure of honoring the grandparents at their celebration of life. It was truly a beautiful ceremony. Held at their church with this one day opening its arms to our entire side of mom’s family. We ventured out early to make the long trek down the mountain from where my parents lived. A beautiful little birdhouse resting right on the top of a hill, with views of mountains and crowded forests. The drive was only about an hour before we arrived at the destination. I made sure I wore different pieces of jewelry that I knew my grandma would have recognized, having given them to me over the years. A subtle nod to her extensive love of sparkly things and enhanced elegance (something that she has passed on to me). My brother-in-law and I rehearsed for the upcoming ceremony. We then entered the lobby and were greeted by aunts, uncles, cousins, and second cousins we haven’t seen since I was little. A well-welcomed reunion. It caused what could have been a sad day to be exciting and enthusiastic. Then the ceremony began. My brother read some of their favorite passages of the Bible, then the two of us sang some of their favorite songs, and my cousin re-lived their lives with a eulogy that had almost everyone praying they could keep it together. It was an honor to celebrate both of their lives. We then shifted the party to the birdhouse. Comforting our minds by filling our bellies, we all ate and talked, catching one another up on moments of the past and present that we have missed; meeting new members of the family and exchanging plans for the future. Then we all said goodbye, in hopes that another reunion would take an appearance beyond the doors of weddings or celebrations of life. After the last of the dust settled from the final truck, we told stories and tried to eat what was left of the food. I think we are all going to sleep tonight feeling as though our grandparents' lives had been celebrated. After a long day of time with family and not having my daily nap, I’m due for an early bedtime! I am exhausted. - Dru

Journal Entry 3

July 31st 2023

Well, my bad. I guess I skipped a few days. Not much has gone on since returning home from Colorado. It has been slow acclimating back into the everyday breaths of life. The usual, car trouble, cloudy skies, appointments, nothing mind-bending crazy. And today has been no different. Today, I climbed down from my bed to start my day of work. Opened my curtains to unleash the morning's attitude and had my early morning greeting from my housemate Gus, my cat. I worked like normal while dancing around to my music to wistfully glide through the hours. Then I had my favorite surprise guests. My sister and nephew showed up on their way back to their car from their mid-morning walk. Cuddles were exchanged and my heart grew yet another inch with the ability to spend time with that little man. It’s little moments like that that I tend to forget about in the grand scheme of life. Little moments that add exclamation points to our days. Although the moments might not last that long, they bring vibrancy to a moment we might have seen as mundane. The day carried on and I worked on my blog. And like every day, my mandatory nap was taken to prepare me for my workout for the day, which consisted of a spontaneous Ballet class at my old studio. I danced around knowing that there was no underlying purpose, therefore there wasn’t too much criticism for my mistakes. The day came to a close with a learning experience of replacing the battery in my car that had decided to take a nap (the permanent kind). And finished the day with dinner and the ending of my book. So after an eventful day, I am ready for bed. - Dru

Real World

Each day carries little unexpected moments. Moments we try our hardest to hold in the available hidden corners of our minds. But, as a reminder, we capture photographs to re-tell us of those days, moments, and experiences that are too precious to leave to chance. Sometimes we can become overwhelmed by the number of moments we decide to remember knowing that we will never have the time to look through all of them yet we continue to capture moments because of the fear of forgetting a moment. Now, that isn’t to say that photographs are the only source. A lot of the time it is far more special to recall our emotions and thoughts through words, allowing our minds and eyes to capture the moment without something obscuring the view. But, life passes us by and each day, although some days may feel the same, they will never be completely 100% replicated. And what a joy it is to witness the little moments in our normal lives.

The month of July carried lots of everyday tasks but also presented many fun and exciting moments. Those three days were a mix between, a fun ordinary holiday, a day of vacation surrounded by extended family, and a little more exciting day in my typical life. I hope you enjoyed July and can pick up and treasure each little moment of the new month that the second act of this year brings. Don’t forget to subscribe to the Allie-Way, follow on Instagram to see more photos of July, let me know your thoughts on the post, and share this with someone. As always, thanks for reading Allie-Cats.

• Dru Allie