"Lucky Stars" by Bodhi Smith

Apr 01, 2022

"lucky stars" is my brand new impression and blog...
 
"love can't be rationally defined, or even effectively described by any combination of words. love can only be felt, love can only be known. and love is everywhere, surrounding us inside and out. love is truly the only constant in the universe, and we have a universe of love inside each of us. those of us that realize this, we're the lucky ones" ― bodhinku, lucky ones
     
"behold our lucky stars aligned
my beloved soul from
another planet
our lucky stars conspired to
intertwine into one milky way of
our beautiful lives" 
 
"just as the leafless tree awakens to find it's empty branches have been magically adorned with dewdrops, there's message meant for us all--there's a blessing for us each day we awaken, and then each moment we are awake. needing to be grateful with each breath we take, being fully present and mindful in the now. being in love with how lucky we are to be who we are, living and alive. we need to reflect often. and we need to thank our lucky stars for what we have, instead of wishing for that which we are missing" ― bodhinku, lucky stars
 
"you were blessed with 84,600 seconds today, have you used one of them to say thank you?" ― bodhinku, blessed
 
"i will take the sun in my mouth
and leap into the ripe air
alive
with closed eyes
to dash against darkness" ― e. e. cummings, 100 selected poems
 
"you must be my lucky star because you shine on me wherever you are. i just think of you and i start to glow, and i need your light, and baby you know you must be my lucky star because you make the darkness seem so far. and when i'm lost, you'll be my guide. i just turn around, and you're by my side. you may be my lucky star, but i'm the luckiest by far" ― madonna, lucky star
 
"every now and then, the stars align, boy and girl meet by the great design. could it be that you and me are the lucky ones? everybody told me love was blind, then i saw your face and you blew my mind. finally, you and me are the lucky ones this time. feels like, you know, it feels like falling in love for the first time" ― lana del rey, lucky ones
 
"what did i do to get to be so lucky baby? i'm lucky baby, whenever i see your smiling face, lucky to be the one to be lucky" ― bon jovi, lucky
 
"some moment happens in your life that you say yes right up to the roots of your hair, that makes it worth having been born just to have happen. laughing with somebody till the tears run down your cheeks. waking up to the first snow. being in bed with somebody you love...whether you thank god for such a moment or thank your lucky stars, it is a moment that is trying to open up your whole life. if you turn your back on such a moment and hurry along to business as usual, it may lose you the ball game. if you throw your arms around such a moment and hug it like crazy, it may save your soul" ― frederick buechner, beyond words
 
"if one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform a million realities" ― maya angelou 
 
"without the dark, there isn’t light. without the pain, there is no relief. and i remind myself that i’m lucky to be able to feel such great sorrow, and also such great happiness. i can grab on to each moment of joy and live in those moments because i have seen the bright contrast from dark to light and back again" ― jenny lawson, furiously happy 
 
“it’s a profoundly strange feeling, to stumble across someone whose desires are shaped so closely to your own, like reaching toward your reflection in a mirror and finding warm flesh under your fingertips. if you should ever be lucky enough to find that magical, fearful symmetry, i hope you’re brave enough to grab it with both hands and not let go" ― alix e. harrow, the ten thousand doors of january
 
"i love you fiercely
like never before
for i believe that
love binds forever
so we can dwell 
on a bright star
our home, sweet home
in the sky" ― bo syrotiak
 
"it can be soothing and peaceful to meditate and reflect on the magical universe that's inside us. especially while sitting under a spiritual tree. you can feel the love of the tree, and connect to its universe, while at the same time you can feel and connect to the love inside yourself" ― bodhinku, lucky stars
 
this song was suggested to me yesterday morning by a special soul who is quite dear to my heart...it's a perfect fit to my blog today and my deeper meaning: love can't be rationally defined, it can only be felt, love can only be known. and love is everywhere, surrounding us inside and out. love is truly the only constant in the universe, we have a universe of love inside each of us. those of us that realize this, we're the lucky ones... "light of love" by jai jagdeesh ... (just click on any of the words in the powder blue links to listen to the tune and watch the video) ...
 
"i will climb into your ocean, i will sail onto your shore; i will breathe in your magnificence and never ask for more...i will be as i am written, courage on every page; i will carve this life with every breath, a sage to the age...i will turn up the fountain, and fill this world with bliss; i will sing a song of joyful love and merge into your kiss...and i will stumble into beauty, recognizing that it's me; i will open up my heart and surrender unto thee...i am the child, i am the mother. i am your bride and your lover. i am everything, great and small. i am the one, i am it all. i am the child, i am the mother. i am your bride and your lover. i am everything, great and small. i am the one, i am it all...i am the light of love. i am the light of love. i am the light of love. i am the light of love...i will dive into each moment because i'll die as i was born. i will walk at peace with ease and grace, and float with the unknown. i will find the gift in everything, perfection in every way; i will bow at the altar of this and every day...i can't promise not to feel some fear or to always understand; but i'll be the change i wish to see, i will hold every hand...i am tangled up in beauty, i see clearly that it's me. i have opened up my heart and surrender unto thee...i am the child, i am the mother. i am your bride and your lover. i am everything, great and small. i am the one, i am it all. i am the child, i am the mother. i am your bride and your lover. i am everything, great and small. i am the one, i am it all. i am the light of love. i am the light of love. i am the light of love. i am the light of love. i am the light of love. i am the light of love. i am the light of love. i am the light of love" ― jai jagdeesh, light of love
 
"the sun peaks through, illuminating everything, making the scene effervescent, lighting up the tree's world like a universe all its own, full of glowing stars at its fingertips, with that one giant shining lucky star to reach out and hold...such a sight to behold, such beauty in its nakedness, who needs leaves?" ― bodhinku, lucky stars
 
"i thank my lucky stars for 
being alive. with 
each breath i take, i know 
nothing is guaranteed, not even 
my next breath. i'm so 
grateful for what i have. and so 
thankful of those lucky stars for 
guiding me, showing me so 
much love, showing me how
 love surrounds me everywhere, if 
i only open my eyes to see it, and 
my heart to feel it" ― bodhinku, lucky stars 
----------------------
 
MEANING
"she's the light in my darkness, the colour in my black and white. she's the straw in my berry, the song in my heart. she's my dream girl, the love in love, all i need in my life. i'll make it through everything to be with her...one day i will thank my lucky stars when she will simply say to me, "my favorite color is you, my favorite music is your heartbeat" and that'll be all i need to know, as she smiles and gives me the hug that lasts the rest of my life..." ― bodhinku, lucky stars 
 
here is another black and white composition...with my love of colour and how different colours speak to me and give me different feelings and impressions, i seldom (if ever) do any black and white images, (but i've recently now completed two this past month oddly enough)...i often feel like my b&w images are "meh" and ordinary. each one is glaringly missing a vital piece of their soul because i've omitted the vibrant colour that makes the essence of my compositions jump to life...
 
however, with this picture being of a beautiful tree full of texture but having lost it's leaves, all the colours were muted, with only the faint glow of the sunlight peaking through lighting up all the dew drops at the tips of all its branches. the use of colour was not an absolutely necessity, not with this one. when in fact, it's the lack of color that makes this image extraordinary, giving you the impression of looking out into a sky full of stars as the black and white transformation really brings out and enhances the effect of all those brightly glowing dewdrops...
 
and i thank my lucky stars for being able to witness this majestic tree and feel its magic and glory...and despite its lack of colour in the dead of winter, it's still glowing in it's own happy brilliance...
 
"lucky" is defined by merriam-webster as:
1. achieving success or advantage by chance rather than through one's own actions
2. having, bringing, or resulting from good fortune; blessed
3. chance considered as a force for good outcomes
 
the winter has stripped this beautiful japanese maple of its foliage, stolen away all its colourful leaves. it's left to stand there naked and bare with nothing to wear, but it's not sad. because in place of the leaves, from the condensation of the overnight moisture in the forest, delicate dew drops have formed at the tips of the tree's branches, there's thousands of dew drops covering each and every dainty branch on the tree...such an eloquent gift of graceful beauty given to the tree with love by mother nature herself!
 
then each morning the sun peaks through, illuminating everything, making the scene effervescent, lighting up the tree's world like a universe all its own, full of glowing stars at its fingertips, with that one giant shining lucky star to reach out and hold...such a sight to behold, such beauty in its nakedness, who needs leaves?
 
just as the leafless tree awakens to find it's empty branches have been magically adorned with dewdrops, there's message meant for us all--there's a blessing for us each day we awaken, and then each moment we are awake. needing to be grateful with each breath we take, being fully present and mindful in the now. being in love with how lucky we are to be who we are, living and alive. we need to reflect often. and we need to thank our lucky stars for what we have, instead of wishing for that which we are missing...it's all about wanting what we have. we need to be happy with what we have, and not be missing the things we don't have, or things we would like to have...
 
"happiness is not having what you want, it's wanting what you have!" ― sheyl crow, c'mon, c'mon
 
it can be soothing and peaceful to meditate and reflect on the magical universe that's uniquely inside each of us. especially while sitting under a spiritual tree. you can feel the love of the tree, and connect to its universe, while at the same time you can feel and connect to the love inside yourself...
 
L🌻💖E
 
love can't be rationally defined, or even effectively described by any combination of words. love can only be felt, love can only be known. and love is everywhere, surrounding us inside and out. love is truly the only constant in the universe, and we have a universe of love inside each of us. those of us that realize this, we're the lucky ones...
 
so when we chose to look inward, we see that there's so much love inside each of us. we find we have this giant universe inside that love, full of its own galaxies and stars shining bright in our own darkness. to be human is to love, and having a universe of love in each of us is such a beautiful thing...

so i look once again at this beautiful tree. it's in black and white, but still so full of color and vitality flowing through its veins. it's glowing fully with the light of love on the tips of its branches. how can i not feel alive? how can i not feel love? love is everywhere...love's in every living thing, in every different direction, in every dimension. love's connecting all of us to each other with its invisible magic. love's breathtaking. love's beautiful and pure. love's always there for us. the proof is everywhere, as love is everywhere. it's so comforting to know that we are all able to breathe in the immensity of nature's beauty, and then exhale pure love. it's so good to know love, and live love. this echoes all i need to know, and life is good, so good...  
 
"i thank my lucky stars for being alive. with each breath i take, i know nothing is guaranteed, not even my next breath. i'm so grateful for what i have. and so thankful of those lucky stars for guiding me, showing me so much love, showing me how love surrounds me everywhere, if i only open my eyes to see it, and my heart to feel it" ― bodhinku, lucky stars
 
here is another beautiful song in lyric and meaning, written and performed by one of my favourite artists of all time, jimmy buffett, with his unique and laid-back island style of music. this tune is from over 22 years ago in 1999, just before the turn of the new millennium...the song is about being grateful for what you have, to just be alive, present in the now of this life. it also has the same exact title as my impression and blog today, read the lyrics, give it a good listen and you'll be able to connect with the deeper meaning i'm sending you here..."lucky stars" by jimmy buffett ... (just click on any of words in the powder blue links to listen to the song)...  

"woke up just the other day, fell out of bed and my dog ran away. the car won't start and the weather was cold and gray. i got stuck in a traffic jam, my major meeting didn't go as i planned. looks like it's gonna be another one of those days...i got a roof over my head, someone to love me in a four poster bed, and i can play this here guitar, i thank my lucky stars...politicians speak and it makes me ill, people are dyin' just for a thrill. maybe it's just evolution gone astray. the climate's too hot, music's gotten cold, i've livin' like a health nut but i still grow old. you do what you can on the edge of the milky way...got a roof over my head, someone to love me in a four poster bed, and i can play this here guitar. gonna thank my lucky stars...wrapped up in the problems of the day, just remember there's no rewind and no replay. don't you worry cause it ain't gonna fix a thing. woke up just the other day, thought that maybe i'd be okay, because the story i've been getting ain't written anywhere...got a roof over my head, someone to love me in a four poster bed, and i can play this here guitar, gonna thank my lucky stars. got a roof over my head, someone to love me in a four poster bed, and i can play this here guitar, i thank my lucky stars. gonna thank my lucky stars: thank you stars." ― jimmy buffett, lucky stars 
 
and here is another great little tune full of spunk and meaning to give a listen, and it has such beautifully perfect lyrics, especially considering the source...so, of course i would be remiss if i did not have this song in my blog today...it's a dance tune from close to 40 years ago in 1983 by the singer/songwriter madonna, before she really became a mega superstar and icon of the music scene of the 1980s..."lucky star" by madonna ...this song has wonderfully beautiful lyrics if you read them and listen to them closely, it has a deeply spiritual message that is almost always overlooked because people do not always see past the glitz and glitter that is madonna seeking her limelight...
 
"you must be my lucky star because you shine on me wherever you are. i just think of you and i start to glow, and i need your light, and baby you know. starlight, star bright, first star i see tonight. starlight, star bright, make everything alright. starlight, star bright, first star i see tonight. starlight, star bright, yeah!...you must be my lucky star because you make the darkness seem so far. and when i'm lost, you'll be my guide. i just turn around, and you're by my side. starlight, star bright, first star i see tonight. starlight, star bright, make everything alright. starlight, star bright, first star i see tonight. starlight, star bright, yeah!...c'mon, shine your heavenly body tonight because i know you're gonna make everything alright. c'mon, shine your heavenly body tonight because i know you're gonna make everything alright. you may be my lucky star, but i'm the luckiest by far. starlight, star bright, first star i see tonight. starlight, star bright, make everything alright. starlight, star bright, first star i see tonight. starlight, star bright, yeah!...c'mon, shine your heavenly body tonight because i know you're gonna make everything alright. c'mon, shine your heavenly body tonight because i know you're gonna make everything alright. you may be my lucky star, but i'm the luckiest by far...what you do to me, baby? you may be my lucky star, you know? but i'm the luckiest by far. starlight, star bright, baby. starlight, star bright, stay by my side tonight, what you do to me, baby!" ― madonna, lucky star
 
"this tree's in its own universe of love, reaching out for its one lucky star, grasping it with all its glowing branches, simultaneously touching and embracing love and light" ― bodhinku, lucky star
----------------------
 
MORE BODHIKU QUOTES
and now here are a few more quotes from bodhinku from past blogs to help add to the deeper meaning of this blog today...
 
"you yourself are the most beautiful soul in the world, and every day spent living in truth, being true to yourself, with your true self, will always be a beautiful day" ― bodhinku, true self
 
"i knew her instantly, as soon as my eyes laid upon her. that first look is all it took...i'm all hers forever" ― bodhinku, primera vista
 
"she lives each of her life's moments fully and looks past none of them. she's artistic and free. her spirit dances with the moon and stars each night. she hopes, she dreams. she loves. she feels the same way about me, spellbound, as she breathes my name into her lungs" ― bodhinku, together 
 
"with every breath that we take, sometimes we forget how lucky we are to just be alive...everything else is secondary...sometimes we must stop in the middle of everything and just breathe, and be thankful for that breath of life. sometimes we all need to be reminded and truly remember that living is a gift and should be cherished" ― bodhinku, how lucky we are 
    
"buddha is famous for saying, "embrace nothing, nothing is worth holding on to", and even though i'm a buddhist, i emphatically disagree with this statement...sometimes, the universe sends you a sign in the form of an angel, a soul worth holding on to for as long as humanly possible"― bodhinku, embrace your angel
 
"when i look at her glowing before me, i know nothing else in the world matters, or ever will" ― bodhinku, her glow    
 
"i've a dream, it's you"― bodhinku, i have a dream
 
"yesterday is nothing but a memory today, it's no longer present...and tomorrow is nothing but a dream today, it's not present yet...today is present, right here and now is the present. be present in this present, it's a true present to you! so live today like nothing else matters" ― bodhinku, mindful   
 
"i really need to be illuminated daily by things that are inspiring to me, things than make me smile, giggle, and glow from my deepest depths...illuminating my inner shadows, those hidden dark parts of me, personal secrets that make me who i am, even if i'm not proud of them" ― bodhinku, illuminated    
 
"whenever sadness is in front of you, just remember that joy is right there too, just turn around and i'm right there behind you, i'm always right here behind you, no matter what, with all the love and support you'll ever need" ― bodhinku, right behind you    

"please send me an angel, so i can see life though the stars of heaven's eyes" ― bodhinku, send me an angel
 
"you can see how i am grateful, fortunate, and blessed...truly "lucky" to have what i have, live the way i do, and be alive " ― bodhinku, fortunate
----------------------
 
MORE QUOTES FOR EXTRA MEANING
this next song i would like you to give listen is a love song, a beautiful duet...it's the perfect accompaniment to connect music with part of the meaning of my "lucky" impression and blog today: "lucky" by jason mraz and colbie caillat ...(just click on any of words in the blue links to listen to the musical selection)....
 
"do you hear me? i'm talking to you. across the water, across the deep blue ocean. under the open sky, oh my, baby i'm trying...boy i hear you in my dreams. i feel your whisper across the sea. i keep you with me in my heart...you make it easier when life gets hard. i'm lucky i'm in love with my best friend. lucky to have been where i have been. lucky to be coming home again...they don't know how long it takes, waiting for a love like this. every time we say goodbye, i wish we had one more kiss. i'll wait for you i promise you, i will...i'm lucky i'm in love with my best friend. lucky to have been where i have been. lucky to be coming home again. lucky we're in love in every way. lucky to have stayed where we have stayed. lucky to be coming home someday. and so i'm sailing through the sea to an island where we'll meet. you'll hear the music fill the air. i'll put a flower in your hair. though the breezes, through the trees. move so pretty, you're all i see as the world keeps spinning round. you hold me right here, right now...i'm lucky i'm in love with my best friend. lucky to have been where i have been. lucky to be coming home again. i'm lucky we're in love in every way. lucky to have stayed where we have stayed. lucky to be coming home someday..." ― jason mraz & colbie caillat, lucky 
 
"be grateful. because you are alive, everything is possible" ― gautama siddhartha buddha, sayings of buddha   
 
"everything is a gift. the degree to which we are awake to this truth is a measure of our gratefullness, and gratefullness is a measure of our aliveness" ― lao tzu, tao te ching
 
"every day, think as you wake up, today i am fortunate to be alive, i have a precious human life, i am not going to waste it. i am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. i am going to have kind thoughts towards others, i am not going to get angry or think badly about others. i am going to benefit others as much as i can" ― dalai lama xiv, the art of happiness  
  
"i am the luckiest man alive, for i know one thing, and that is that i know nothing" ― plato, the republic
   
"those who love much, do much and accomplish much, and whatever is done with love is done well.... love is the best and noblest thing in the human heart, especially when it is tested by life as gold is tested by fire. happy is he who has loved much, and although he may have wavered and doubted, he has kept that divine spark alive and returned to what was in the beginning and ever shall be...if only one keeps loving faithfully what is truly worth loving and does not squander one's love on trivial and insignificant and meaningless things then one will gradually obtain more light and grow stronger" ― vincent van gogh  
 
"i feel lucky. i can hear you whispering my name to the stars, your voice moving through the trees; your echo in the twilight calling to me. i can feel your hands tangled with mine in the ether and your laughter on the breeze. i can feel your body against mine and the way my heart skips a beat when you look at me with those eyes...when i say i want to be naked with you, i mean stripped down, vulnerable, raw, wide open bare to the core. the kind that can’t be undressed in seconds and hidden back away when the passion is waning. it lingers and lasts unable to close again shattering all walls and barriers into dust...like this love, it is ever unfolding, petal by petal, layer by layer; in a sweet sensual dance of mind, body, heart and soul....so when i say i want to be naked with you, i mean i want to feel into the unknown depths of you and know the swirling shadows and light that dwell there. i want to be alive with you. i want to see all of you. i want to be naked with your whole being" ― c. ara campbell (with additions by bodhinku)
 
"why do we have to listen to our hearts?” the boy asked, when they had made camp that day. “because, wherever your heart is, that is where you’ll find your treasure.” “but my heart is agitated,” the boy said. “it has its dreams, it gets emotional, and it’s become passionate over a girl of the desert. it asks things of me, and it keeps me from sleeping many nights, when i’m thinking about her.” “well, that’s good. your heart is alive. keep listening to what it has to say" ― paulo coelho, the alchemist   
 
"just being alive is such a gift, but nobody ever told you to be thankful to existence. On the contrary, everyone was grumpy, complaining. naturally, if everything surrounding your life from the very beginning goes on pointing out to you that you are not what you should be, goes on giving you great ideals that you have to follow and you have to become, your isness is never praised" ― osho, the responsibility of being oneself
 
"an alive and loving person simply loves. love is a natural function. so the second thing to remember is, don’t ask for perfection; otherwise you will not find any love flowing in you. on the contrary, you will become unloving. people who demand perfection are very unloving people, neurotic. even if they can find a lover they demand perfection, and the love is destroyed because of that demand. once a man loves a woman or a woman loves a man, demands immediately enter. the woman starts demanding that the man should be perfect, just because he loves her. as if he has committed a sin! now he has to be perfect, now he has to drop all his limitations—suddenly, just because of this woman? now he cannot be human? either he has to become superhuman or he has to become phony, false, a cheat. naturally, to become superhuman is very difficult, so people become cheats. they start pretending and acting and playing games. in the name of love people are just playing games. so the second thing to remember is never to demand perfection. you have no right to demand anything from anybody. if somebody loves you, be thankful, but don’t demand anything—because the other has no obligation to love you. if somebody loves, it is a miracle. be thrilled by the miracle." ― osho, love, freedom, aloneness

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)

                                                      i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)" ― e. e. cummings
 
"he stared at her, knowing with certainty that he was falling in love. he pulled her close and kissed her beneath a blanket of stars, wondering how on earth he'd been lucky enough to find her" ― nicholas sparks, the last song
 
"you should be kissed everyday, every hour, every minute" ― nicholas sparks, the lucky one  
 
"the sky was clear, and he could see millions of stars. then something happened inside of him that transformed his life forever. he looked at his hands, he felt his body, and he heard his own voice say. "i am made of light, i am made of stars." he looked at the stars again, and he realized that it's not the stars that create the light, but rather the light that creates the stars. "everything is made of light," he said, "and the space in-between isn't empty." and he knew that everything that exists is one living being, and that light is the messenger of life, because it is alive and contains all information" ― don miguel ruiz, the four agreements  
 
"i'm glad to be alive
in a world where
her gently awakening eyes
nourish the morning sun" ― sanober khan, turquoise silence
 
"we’re only here for a short while. and i think it’s such a lucky accident, having been born, that we’re almost obliged to pay attention. in some ways, this is getting far afield. i mean, we are, as far as we know, the only part of the universe that’s self-conscious. we could even be the universe’s form of consciousness. we might have come along so that the universe could look at itself. i don’t know that, but we’re made of the same stuff that stars are made of, or that floats around in space. but we’re combined in such a way that we can describe what it’s like to be alive, to be witnesses. most of our experience is that of being a witness. we see and hear and smell other things. i think being alive is responding" anything" ― mark strand, almost invisible poems
 
"here’s why i’m a fan of thanking our lucky stars every day: it helps with forgiving yourself your failures; it cuts down on the ego and boosts humility; and, perhaps most important, it makes us more compassionate" ― a.j. jacobs, thanks a thousand
 
"i was thinking about how i thank my lucky stars every day that i ended up here… right here, with you" ― mia sheridan, archer's voice
 
"you're half a world away
but in my mind i whisper every single word you say
and before you sleep at night
you pray to me your lucky star, your singing satellite" ― justine suissa
 
and here is another song, a beautiful love ballad from a great singer and song-writer, jon bon jovi...it's a tune to connect music with part of the meaning of my impression and blog today: "lucky" by bon jovi ...(just click on any of words in the blue links to listen to the musical selection)....

"she counts the days away and waits for valentines. she says every girl in the past is just a waste of time. you know, whoa, she don't believe in miracles and make-believe. if you were blind, you still could see that she believes in me. feels like i found a pocket full of gold. i'm lucky baby, so lucky baby. lucky to be with you today. lucky to be the one to say: i'm lucky baby... so lucky baby whenever i see your smiling face. lucky to be the one to be lucky. now all of heaven's angels have to wear their wings. she likes cheap sunglasses and diamond rings. you know, she brings sunshine to a cloudy day. when we walk on by, people stop and say: i'm lucky baby, so lucky baby. lucky to be with you today. lucky to be the one to say: i'm lucky baby, i'm lucky baby. i got lucky when you found me, it only took one kiss to see...what did i do to get to be so lucky baby? i'm lucky baby, whenever i see your smiling face, lucky to be the one to be lucky" ― bon jovi, lucky
 
and this is also some more music you can listen to as you read on with my blog. this is another favorite song of mine, one most people might have never heard before, "love is my religion" by ziggy marley ...this song is very poignant to this image, as well as very soothing at the same time and easy on the ears as you read along...  
 
"love is my religion...i'll take you to the temple tonight...all my days i've been searching to find out what this life is worth. through the books and bibles of time, i've made up my mind. i don't condemn, i don't convert, this is a calling have you heard. bring all the lovers to the fold, 'cause no one is gonna lose their soul...love is my religion...hey you can take it or leave it, and you don't have to believe it. i don't want to fight, hey let's go fly a kite. there's nothing that we can't cure, and i'll keep you in my arms for sure. so don't let nobody stop us, free spirits have to soar. with you i share the gift, the gift that we now know oh oh oh...love is my religion, love is my religion, love is my religion...hey you can take it or leave it, and you don't have to believe it. well i'm done searching now, i found out what this life is worth. not in the books that i find, but by searching my mind. i don't condemn, i don't convert. this is the calling have you heard, bring all the lovers to the fold, no one is gonna lose their soul...love is my religion, love is my religion, love is my religion...hey you can take it or leave it, and you don't have to believe it...love is my religion, love is my religion, love is my religion...hey you can take it or leave it, now that you believe" ― ziggy marley, love is my religion   
 
"how lucky am i to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard" ― a.a. milne, winnie the pooh
 
"this being human is a guest house. every morning is a new arrival. a joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor...welcome and entertain them all. treat each guest honorably. the dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in. be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide of love from beyond" ― jalaluddin rumi, hush don't say anything to god 
 
"if you look around and see nothing but darkness, maybe you are the light" ― jalaluddin rumi, the essential rumi
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ABOUT THE IMPRESSION
"i look once again at this beautiful tree, in black and white, but so full of color and vitality flowing through its veins, while glowing full with the light of love on the tips of its branches, how can i not feel alive? how can i not feel love?" ― bodhinku, light of love
    
greeting the morning sunshine is this beautiful japanese maple tree in the winter whose leaves are replaced with thousands of glowing dewdrops on its branch tips...
 
this impression was captured in washington park in portland oregon early on a peaceful and windless morning, a little bit after sunrise as the brighter light was breaking through the trees on january 2nd 2022...i would not have been able to even capture this image had the wind been blowing, because the wind would have knocked the dewdrops off the branch tips and blurred most of the picture awfully in a long exposure...this composition is comprised of one single exposure (f/22@22mm for 222 secs, iso-64)...
 
in my photography, i always use filters to create longer exposure effects, saturate colors naturally, and balance the light in my composition in-camera...i often use as many as four filters at time, and i always use at least one filter in my completed impressions...
 
to get the effects and balance i was looking for in this composition, i used two progreyusa titan filters along with the progrey g-150z holder to secure these filters to my nikon d850 with a nikon nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 lens ... 
 
first, a 3.0 nd progrey titan filter to bring the light in the image down 10 stops and permit for the long 3 minute 42 second exposure (222 secs) which naturally saturates all the red, green, and blue (rgb) colors in the image, which makes the subsequently created black and white image bolder, with more contrasting values...
 
combined with the second filter, a 0.9 gnd progrey titan filter to help balance in-camera overall the image the way i envisioned it...in this case, to stop down the much brighter light in the upper portions of the picture created by the sun shining through the trees in the park. this filter allows me to bring down just the top portion of the image an extra three stops and help permit details in the shadows of the tree and bushes in the foreground to come out better in the exposure... 
 
i wish to openly thank my sponsors who have always supported me through both the good and bad times...for truly this long exposure impression would not be possible without the use of my induro phq3 series 5-way panhead with the induro (now benro) stealth carbon fiber tripod in combination with the progreyusa filters which i use with every photo i take...
 
"you were blessed with 84,600 seconds today, have you used one of them to say thank you?" ― bodhinku, blessed
 
"if nothing else...if i open my eyes, if i hope, if i cry, if i think, if i sigh, if i giggle, if i dance, if i love, if i breathe, then i have lived a full days worth of life...nothing is wasted, nothing" ― bodhinku, if nothing else
 
"i do not want you to just be into my photography, instead, i'd much rather you take a journey into my pictures, and feel the impression i have created, feel it with all your senses" ― bodhinku, into my photography
 
"my photography is my way of keeping a diary" ― bodhinku, my diary
  
"contemplate without thinking. be certain only in your uncertainty, content to be completely incomplete. stop the rush. slow down time. breathe and notice. slow down everything. let it all be. shut off the noise. hush. relax. seize this higher moment. reconnect. feel and sense what surrounds you. listen to all the colours of light whisper as they envelope you. see the melody and harmony that float about unnoticed. taste the solitude of all this wonderment. smell the beautiful silence. now discover your peaceful serenity. then, reach out and touch your faith with all your senses. this is my world. awaken!" ― bodhinku, my world
 
i leave you today wishing that bright joy 
and spiritual peace fill your life...
imploring you to make every moment count, 
no matter what, always and forever, 
for that is the only thing that truly matters... 
  
and above all else,
i hope this message and impression find you well.
 
namaste,
bodhi
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please visit me at:

http://www.bodhismith.com
http://www.instagram.com/bodhismith
http://www.facebook.com/Bodhi.Impressions

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