January 17, 2011

a promise to myself....

she shyly said
"my birthday is actually tomorrow, but i'm celebrating it today"
when i told her how much i loved her red tu-tu
she was tentative when i asked her if i could take her photograph

but
then when i asked her to spin around
she lit up
and
her young and very fresh teenage wings
helped her fly
i gave her one of my postcards with "happy birthday" written on it and told her if she sent me her email, i'd send her the photos.
~
last night. there she was.
~you've got mail~
it said "i'm the one that was in the red tu-tu. remember me?"
~
how could i ever forget
~
so later this year. when i turn 47. i am going to wear a red tu-tu. too
and
i'm going to spin.
around and around. as many times as i can.
and
maybe later i'll say
"remember me"
~
years ago, when my grandmother died, my mom, while cleaning out grandma's apartment, found an antique tea cup of sorts, sitting in the back corner of her refrigerator holding some kind of a liquidy leftover.
on the cup
were the etched words
'remember me'
~
and
there's not a day we have ever forgotten her

so really. when you think about it.
isn't that the only message we all want to leave behind someday.
*

49 comments:

  1. Love the photo!! Oh the freedom!! the wings to fly! Darling red tutu!! Can't wait to see you spin as well!
    Happy early birthday!!
    Hugs
    SueAnn

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  2. I saw this happen ! So cool to have witnessed this moment. That red was redder than anything on that Seaside day.
    I can't wait to see you spin some on your birthday !

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  3. adorable
    love her freedom of style
    doing what feels good
    we should all wear tutus on our birthdays!
    a brilliant idea!

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  4. ...getting a little misty eyed here...beautiful.
    Gratulerer med dagen!!!(Happy birthday in Norwegian)

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  5. you must do this, you know. no ifs ands or buts. butts? :) gots to! i can already see you spinning.

    xoxo
    Debi

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  6. How wonderful. A free spirit to inspire so many others. :) God bless her in all her future days!

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  7. ..only if it's in a good light :-) beautiful post..brave woman you are lately on a few fronts - my grandmother had a pair of red ballet slippers hung on the wall that her children had given her "to stay young". I love that. I ache at the thought that no one has those red slippers anymore.

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  8. oh, and you will show pictures, right? love these, and the sentiment behind them. seriously, no pun intended :)

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  9. Beautiful! All of it :)
    Thank you.
    Luna

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  10. OMG, this one really touched me. I was fine until you got to your grandmother's tea cup and the very last sentence.

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  11. I think wearing the red tutu is a perfectly good way to celebrate a birthday.... and the part about your grandmother's teacup.... that choked me up a bit and made me think of my sweet grandmother, too.

    Thanks for bringing me smiles and memories today. Hope yours is blessed.

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  12. Omg. That made me cry... I'm have to wipe away tears as they roll down my cheeks.

    So beautiful. Thanks for the reminder.

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  13. That tutu is delicious! Hope you twirl in it and dance all day on your birthday.

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  14. Tearful from your note about your grandmother's teacup. I want to be remembered so lovingly by my family.
    lovely photo of red tutu!

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  15. Yes, definitely to be remembered! Love the red tutu. My dream in the past few months is to make a pink tutu with flowers tucked inside and twirl to my hearts delight. I am going to do it this year.

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  16. Great post, what an adorable girl.

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  17. FABULOUS...what a gift to be right there at her shining birthday moment! Now I can't wait to see you spin on your big day!! Red and all...hell yes....looks like you now have an audience that holds you accountable for this red-tulle-47-year-old-SPIN!! If this 53 year old body can cartwheel on a beach...YOU CAN SPIN IN A RED TU-TU.....and jump, and FLY! ~remember forever~

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  18. Yes, I do think we each want to be remembered...such great photo's...what a gift you have her...so sweet. Thanks for the smiles.

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  19. I want a tutu too!!! And yes, I think we all want to be remembered (in a good way :)).

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  20. I'm going to sew you the tutu for realsies.
    I'll email you for your address.

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  21. Ithink I might just do this too as I celebrate my 47 th birthday in June.

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  22. Nice! I think you might have made her day. I want to see the tu-tu shot on your birthday, please?

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  23. I loooove the tutu! Gorgeous and amazing words to match!

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  24. yes I'm serious.
    I sew.
    I'm in the process of switching over my email acct , so I'll be in touch in a few days.

    and I'm sure you can find one in the states as opposed to here in canada where it is so much more difficult and expensive. but I want to make it okay?

    you are loved , Beth.

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  25. This was just beautiful. Long may she and you spin.. and be remembered.

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  26. this just makes me happy! Not sure how I found you but here I am reading and reading and reading. Love your style, your photography is is amazing and your outlook on life...well I'm planning on savoring your blog now that I've found you!

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  27. there is so much that is said by that red tu-tu. so much. yes. remember me. that is all we could ever want.

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  28. Wonderful photos! ...and a sweet post.

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  29. This post brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for sharing this story with us. I love, love, love that you have these types of encounters. You my dear are pure magic and light.

    And yes, all we want is for someone to remember us. Even now while living we do not want to be forgotten.

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  30. Yes!!!

    I remember an interview that Barbara Walters had years ago with James Garner. She asked him how he would like to be remembered in the years to come. I guess she thought he'd say something else. But I loved what he said. He told her, with his eyes twinkling, "with a smile".

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  31. i, too, turn 47 later this year. what's your month? i'd join you in the red-tutu chronicles for celebration purposes. such a fabulous idea, beth!

    and thank you for the zoo comment. my lens, too, fogged up in the rainforest and that was it for photos. :)

    awhile back you had requests for your time at seaside...i have one. is there a little white church that looks like the architect michael graves would have designed it? a church, if shrunk to miniature, would be sold on the shelves at target? if you've seen it, could you take pictures of what the inside looks like? i'm mad for the outside, as seen in magazines, but have never seen the inside. possible?

    thank you! xo, graciel

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  32. oh this is pure beauty - your post, those words, and that ever so lovely red tu-tu

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  33. What a glorious red tutu.. Every girl should have one in her closet no matter what her age.

    Di

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  34. I had to stop back by and say congratulations on POTW at Hilarys....very well deserved!

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  35. Oh, that is beautiful! Congrats on your POTW. Very poignant and sweet. I loved it.

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  36. I was prepared to just say congrats on POTW, but this made me smile, tear up, and read again. Beautiful!

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  37. Yep, this is definitely a well-deserved Post of the Week from Hilary. I loved it the first time and I love it again now.

    Cheers, jj

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  38. The pictures are beautiful and the words powerful and poignant. What a lovely post. Thank you for capturing her beauty. And thank you for remembering : )

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  39. (sniff sniff) beeeeaaaauuuutiful!

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  40. I wish I was so brave.
    To wear a red tutu.

    Or maybe just to be able to approach new people and take their photo.

    Every time I see you do this, it makes me think it would be so easy. And maybe it is...I'll have to see for myself!

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  41. Glorious picture and lovely story. Post of the Week winner. Congratulations

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  42. Brilliant capture, thank you.

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  43. Beautiful photos. Congrats on POTW. Very deserving. :)

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  44. these photos (and your words about them) are perhaps the loveliest things i've seen all week.
    so perfect.

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**I love reading the comments you leave, as they make me feel like we're sitting in my kitchen, having a cup of tea, discussing life and wondering where all the time has gone ...beth