Blooming in Stillness

As per usual, I added flowers to my Trader Joe’s haul. On this particular October day, I noticed them sitting on my living room table just existing in my space. For about twelve days, I photographed the life of my flowers as they sat in the stillness of my apartment.

At first, nothing happened, they were green bulbs waiting to bloom. Every time I remembered, I photographed them. They gave me pause when I observed them. How ephemeral their life is. How quickly they change from one day to the next. How easily they reminded me that change happens even when we least expect it. The afternoon light danced on them, and I admired them in silence.

Eventually, the flowers wilted, and I had captured the lifespan of a Trader Joe’s bouquet.

Looking at these photographs reminds me how quietly life changes. How we await for the big celebrations, the trips, the big moments in life, when our life truly happens in the spaces in between.

Maybe this is why I pick up the camera during small moments. I want to remember the times in between. Not because these moments are extraordinary, but because they are mine.

And perhaps, noticing is an art — and its own type of gratitude.

— Casa & Clover