THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE — FREEDOM’S MANUAL AND THE FOUNDING DOCUMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A series of essays....

THE PAINTING “DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE” BY JOHN TRUMBULL.
THE ORIGINAL PAINTING HANGS IN THE U.S. CAPITOL ROTUNDA.

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

How many times have you purchased an electronic item with all of its buttons and knobs, not knowing what each button or knob stands for or what duty it performs, and then place the instruction manuel aside for perusal another day?

History holds us accountable for our actions, or lack thereof, by leaving us with extra nuts and bolts after putting together the Christmas bicycle, or wondering why the garage shelving isn’t sturdy and discovering the side braces have been installed upside down. How often have you said to yourself  and others, “I know this (insert name of item here) is equipped to do so much more! If I only knew what all of these buttons are for...” 

Have you had the good fortune of sitting behind the wheel of your brand new vehicle, ‘new car’ smell intoxicating you with its sensual, short lived odeur de la belle vie, bedazzled by an instrument panel that you are certain rivals that of any Indy car, and look at the rather thick User’s Manual only when you deem it necessary to do so? How much air do the tires require? How large (or small) is the gas tank? What exactly does it mean when that little light on the dash comes on? That’s where we draw the line between really knowing about this amazing piece of machinery and just what we need to know to get us by while driving it.

SOMETHING SO SIMPLE LOOKING AND USED EVERYDAY CAN
HIDE LAYER UPON LAYER OF ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS.

Looking down at my new auxiliary keyboard this morning convinced me of my own lack of inquisitiveness while several options connected to ‘ctrl’ - ‘alt’ - ‘fn’ and a little butterfly-like symbol attached to a key with a tiny lit lightbulb glowing below it stared me in the face and made me curious about what this keyboard could do. I never made time to learn about all of the ‘extras’ this seemingly simple apparatus has to offer before I began typing messages, notes, and blog material; ignorantly continuing life within my usual and comfortable set of patterns.

As in our everyday life, we humans navigate within set guidelines, hesitating to venture out and experience all of the possibilities that are presented to us and, are often, right before our eyes. The coronavirus is changing this basic attitude for many of us...to a certain degree; showing us how having more time on our hands can be a wonderful and very precious commodity while affording us the means to venture out, break new ground, and slip away from previously set patterns.

Like a domesticated cat, a crouching tiger navigating along the hardwood floor, curiosity places her in a position to pounce, if need be. With having more time as our incentive, we can embrace our own curiosity, personal passions and skills, with renewed inspiration, grace and vigor. 

Even if we simply embrace a calmer, more mundane and less stressful lifestyle these days, that’s an accomplishment in itself. Like the brand new vehicle mentioned before, we are all amazing machines and capable of so much if our engines are running smoothly. Let’s suppose this unplanned (highly lethal) coronavirus pit stop is telling us to get serviced, refueled, and refreshed because the next leg of this crazy journey of life requires us to be fine-tuned and running at full capacity! Whether it be finding a vaccine for COVID-19, swiping our nation’s politics out of the hands of foreign influences, or marching and protesting for Black Lives Matter and all of the myriad of wrongs that need to be righted in our lifetime, we must be prepared!

NOT THE BIKE YOUR DADDY PUT TOGETHER ON CHRISTMAS MORNING...

As many of us have briefly stopped for rest before continuing on with the road trip ahead of us, others have already read the thick manuals accompanying the seriously complicated looking piece of electronic equipment, the fancy, multi-layered keyboard, and the 27-gear dirt bike you know your daddy did not put together for you on Christmas morning! Times are, indeed, changing.

It’s election year and the possibility of changing our lives for the better rests on all of our shoulders. We cannot be afraid. Fear is what got us into this mess in the first place. Allow common sense to guide us in the right direction. If wearing a mask in public will help save our life and that of those around us and we are not led via good example...then it is our right and duty to change that example. If any of our elected officials abuse their privilege and power for personal gain and corruption, it is necessary to point it out and make change by voting them out. 

We have become soldiers in this fight for our lives; learning to educate ourselves (again, reading those manuals), marching in the streets for the absolute rights of all people, even staying in place in our own homes in order to curb the spread of an horrific virus. We make the time to speak-out against what is wrong and try to correct it before it is too late to make a difference. Some of us are understanding the true meaning behind ‘white privilege’ and how owning it can open-up our eyes to how others have been abused by it. 

We are becoming more aware of the term ‘implicit bias’ which describes when we have attitudes towards people or associate stereotypes with them without our conscious knowledge. According to Perception Institute, a clear example of this is seen in studies showing that white people will often associate criminality with black people without even realizing they are doing it.

Our cities are shrinking as more and more small businesses are being dissolved due to the lethal separation of politics and science. People who have worked long and hard to secure a slice of the American Dream are watching that dream become smaller and smaller until, eventually, it disappears. 

FAMILIAR SHAPES THESE DAYS CUT FROM BRIGHTLY
PATTERNED CLOTH AND COLORS

It’s difficult to understand at times, but staring at my keyboard this morning precipitated this rather long trail of thoughts that had to be written down and digested at face value. There is so much information out there that’s adhering to us as soundly as iron-based metal shavings to a magnet. After a particularly long day, we can feel as though we have doubled in weight. This difficult burden is slowly being absorbed into our system, begging to be purified and refined before the morning light begins to appear and the process repeats itself.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men (people) are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” ——Portion of the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence. 

My hope is that we all study our manuals on life before shoving them into dark, unlabeled cubicles, drawers, and glove boxes. Understanding what makes this world tick, which button to push and why, knowing what it will take to make that little dash light turn off, will help bring us together as one, collaborating unit and informed source of love and appreciation of one another. We can be unbiased, fine-tuned machines that strive as individuals and work well in groups for the betterment of our broken nation, a nation in dire need of a fix after four years of unbridled pain.

Stay healthy and contribute to the health of others by wearing a mask.

Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

SHE WILL BE A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

A series of essays....

WE’RE NOT WHERE WE NEED TO BE BUT, THANK GOD, WE’RE NOT
WHERE WE USED TO BE. SHE WILL HELP TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
SHE WILL BE OUR BREATH OF FRESH AIR!

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

As November 3, 2020, looms on the horizon and is labeled a ‘lifetime game changer,’ there’s one very important decision that must be made within the next few weeks (or less). And, it is as highly anticipated as all of the pertinent questions seem to indicate: “Isn’t it about time he announces his pick?” “With so many solid choices, his decision must be very difficult.” “Joe knows what he’s doing. Give him time.” “I’ve made my decision. What about you?”

Truthfully, do you believe that this much scrutiny and care went into any of the previous choices of male candidates slated to fill the position of ‘running mate’ for any man hoping to win his bid for the presidency? Generally speaking, if they were male, of the same political party, and if their profile would guarantee votes for the top man running, he would have all the proper credentials needed for the job!

This time, I believe, it is very different.

This candidate will be a woman. Joe has ensured us of this. Just as he has firmly stated that his presidency will be diverse, engaging, and regulated by the essential principles signified by the Constitution of the United States of America.

Do you understand that this candidate will be a woman? She will serve our country alongside the president. She is not meant to outshine this fine man, Joe Biden. Rather, she will be obliged to stand beside him, assist him in making the best decisions for this country, all while knowing that her opinions will be listened to and respected. What a magnificent concept this is!

Four years ago, the devastation we felt from losing Hillary Clinton’s leadership was unbearable...for many reasons. Yes, we lost the bid for her becoming president and the opportunity to celebrate a victory for this highly capable and intelligent woman. But, we also had a pretty strong feeling that the person who was ultimately granted this prestigious role was neither qualified nor worthy. And, even though Hillary won the popular vote, her opponent squeezed through the White House front door with the help of an archaic law that was formed from a document designed to aid George Washington by easing him into the role as our first President along with his opponent and Vice President, John Adams.

The attempt to measure out all of the kinks within this train of thought was brought about by the retirement of George Washington in 1796, when the electoral system was still only a document. Congress proposed the Twelfth Amendment that required electors to vote for one president and one vice president. This amendment was ratified in 1804. The electoral system turned out to be a benefit applied to the real undemocratic problem of protecting slave states that feared being outvoted in a popular vote system and it ensured the influence of slave owning presidents for more than a quarter of a century.

Even though Hillary won the popular vote by almost three million votes, the egregious and outdated electoral vote placed one of the most heinous individuals in the White House for the past four years. His main agenda has always been to shred our country and her people into tiny bits and pieces based on his own vindictiveness, greed, incompetence, bigotry, and unquenchable racism.

Together, we’re not going to let this happen.

Two-hundred and sixteen years after the ratification of the Twelfth Amendment I can honestly say, “We need Papa Joe!“ We need this kind, loving person to place his hands on our shoulders and plant a kiss on the top of our heads in order to calm us down, encourage a healing process, and stabilize our lives after so much turmoil.

His reassurance will be twofold with the addition of his running mate. This woman will be written down in history and talked about for not only who she is, but for what Joe knows she stands for, what she has already accomplished, as well as what she is capable of doing in the future in order to make this nation a model of profound leadership once again.

Even while battling a universal pandemic, staunching the hatred that has been blustering throughout our nation for hundreds of years, and consciously calculating the wrongs we’ve had to endure and have been reactivated by the current presidency, I feel pretty darn good right now. I am hopeful and enlightened by what is soon to come. And, finally, I am proud to be seated on this political bandwagon that’s riding the hills, valleys, and cityscapes with freedom as its backdrop and equality, compassion, and honesty printed on its free-flowing, red, white & blue banners. 

The lady chosen by Joe Biden to ride by his side through thick and thin will be there with her infinite wisdom, guidance, and purpose even beyond Joe’s tour of duty. She will have an amazing legacy for all of the history books to acknowledge.

With so many fine women for Joe to choose from, I am glad that he is taking his time to figure out who will best fill this important position. It gives one comfort to know that he is taking this important job quite seriously. We haven’t known this feeling for quite a long time. Yes, like so many of us right now, I am eager and excited to hear her name placed out into our nation’s ethos for all to know and become familiar with on the Biden/???? ticket. Like the Phoenix rising up from the current ashes of Washington D.C., we are renewed with vigor and purpose.

I will be patient, I promise, even though it is difficult after these past few years. Just writing about all of this, while  projecting my spirit into the very near future, has enlivened me beyond belief. 

To all my fellow ‘Eeyore’ liberals out there today, and you know who you are, I say to you..think positive thoughts and remember this: No matter who Joe places to run alongside of him, he knows, as well as we do, that she will be a breath of fresh air, an enlightened addition to the cause, and the right person to compliment the amazing gentleman soon to be our 46th President of the United States of America!

Take good care of yourselves and others. Wear a mask in public!

Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

Photo Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

SIMPLE PLEASURES AND LITTLE RITUALS

A series of essays....

A BOUNTY OF LAVENDER HARVESTED
FROM MY FRONT YARD GARDEN

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

As I sit in my writing space these days contemplating life while the scientists and scholars diligently work on a vaccine for COVID-19, I attempt to determine how most of us are coping with all of the ramifications surrounding this deadly virus. It’s been interesting listening to our ideas and observing our actions of the past several months as individuals and in group meetings via the Internet.

Most of my findings have determined that while many of us believe we are leaping forward in order to progress one or two steps ahead of the coronavirus race, we may actually be falling back, making time to listen to our hearts, and enjoying life even more.

I am speaking solely for myself when I say that it’s been an amazing journey these past several months rediscovering life’s simplest pleasures and remembering, if not creating, little daily rituals that may help to turn the world right-side up, even for a moment at a time.

Because it would be wasteful not to recognize the little things in life that make us happy, that put smiles on our faces, and accounts for that new zing in our step, I’ve found it helpful to record these instances in order to look back on them again and again. Many of these things would have been, in normal times, just checked-off on a long list of ‘things to do’ and not appreciated enough for all of the long, hard work that went into them. 

LAVENDER PLANTS KEEPING
THE BEES BUSY 

For example: Securing a pair of garden shears and a bamboo tray I stepped out to my front yard lavender garden to harvest the summer yield of flowers to be hung and dried indoors. I had fun doing a feisty little dance with the beautiful bees who lay claim to the little garden and have been spreading lavender nectar far and wide for weeks. Hopefully my neighbors enjoyed the up, down, sidestep, back-off, do-si-do dance moves displayed because of my innate fear of being stung!

THE JOY OF THE LAVENDER HARVEST

So intrigued by the various processes it takes to dry the ‘little bundles’ of lavender for future use in sachets and a multitude of recipes I make, I decided to write a poem for poetry class entitled Creating Little Rituals that includes this enjoyable task as one of my simple pleasures in life.

Creating Little Rituals

can turn the world right-side up, even 

for a moment, make sense from nonsense, 

retain a semblance of sanity within a 

chaotic world. Rise by six. Back

to bed by ten and love thy neighbor

in between, or so the story goes.

Anticipating the right moment to

harvest the lavender; creating purple

nosegays to hang from a kitchen beam

to dry, hand hewn from a straight and

sturdy tree, to be marveled at 

while sipping morning coffee at seven.

Step on a crack and break your brother’s

back; a wicked ‘little pleasure’ designed 

to appease a younger sister’s spirit and retain

her sanity. Relinquishing control as you slip 

into your lover’s warm embrace while blissful 

sleepiness soon quells the pandemonium of a 

long day. You might sit in easy pose and 

contemplate your aching muscles, age, before 

meditating. But your green cushion has disappeared 

and that’s simply the way life goes.

By: Jacqueline Hughes, 7/12/20

LITTLE NOSEGAYS HANGING FROM
THE KITCHEN BEAM

When you practice mindfulness you practice love. When you become aware of the multiple sounds and sights that surround you as you diligently wait to be released out into the wild, once again...you are practicing mindfulness. Listen to the individual songs of birds while sitting on the deck and you become one with nature. I find innocent joy in hearing the distinct rattle of the golf clubs in someone’s bag as he is walking to find his golf ball three fairways away and then, with eyes closed, picture him setting up to take his second shot. 

Be reminded of the little rituals we find comfort in. It may be reading a book to your child before bed, kissing them sweetly, and then turning off their light. Or, taking your dog for a long walk around the neighborhood after dinner, waving to neighbors at a distance, and marveling at the colorful flowerbeds that mark their hard work and dedication to beauty.

We can all nourish our souls by converting everyday routines into blessed rituals that can help heal our feeling of isolation and our struggle to find a purpose needed to retain emotional well-being in this era of coronavirus.

A LARGE PUZZLE IN THE ROOM

BEGINNING TO PUT THE
PUZZLE PIECES TOGETHER

My husband has come to the completion of our new living room bookshelves that look nothing short of amazing! He has spent hours figuring out the math, painting, constructing, securing, and marveling at how nicely they fit along a 13-foot expanse of plaster wall that was created sometime in 1941. He has found immense joy in doing what he knows best. I am so proud of him and delighted with the outcome.

After unloading 24 boxes filled with books that lived in the basement for almost two years, I became acutely aware of the feel of each book, the hours of one’s lifetime spent in its creation, the various authors I’ve devoted much of my reading life to, the separation of genre and how each book would fill in the spaces selected for their new life in this old house within this next phase of our lives. 

My old friends, gifts for my soul, once again surround me with their own stories, their colorful coats (jackets), while new friends sit staring out into the room and imploring me to read them next. Our 13-foot wall has become a grand piece of artwork that draws my eyes to each fine detail and begs me to run a finger down each spine while reading a title that takes me into another place and time.

THE FINISHED PROJECT

EACH SHELF IS LOVINGLY FILLED WITH OLD AND NEW FRIENDS!

Employing little rituals will help us get through this. Let’s face it...we’ve come a long way through thick and thin and, come hell and high water, I know we can ride this one out even if all it takes is becoming more aware of the simple life and routines already happening around us. When all is said and done, falling back into the total awareness of life’s simple pleasures may just be our saving grace and lead us in the right direction towards coping with our new lifestyle and the healing of our souls..

Please wear a mask anytime you are not at home or walking your dog around the neighborhood! Our lives depend on it.

Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

Photos Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

THE INNOCENT TOUCHED BY THE RUTHLESS HAND OF MAN

A series of essays....

“THE GOLDEN RULE“ BY NORMAN ROCKWELL
~FREEDOM, DIVERSITY, LOVE~

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

Chances are extremely high that most of us, even among eighteen-year-olds and younger, have become more politically savvy within the past few years. Current events have lured our youth into arenas they had previously only hoped to enter after obtaining a college education and sorting-out their career. Too often, circumstances have forced our children to jettison their youth and face a life filled with fear, mistrust, and memories best forgotten.

Having lived in Central Florida for many years I will admit to having a good life filled with plenty of sunshine, sandy beaches that were easily accessible both to my east and west, and being able to wear my beloved sandals twelve months out of the year! Those who know me best know how important the last pleasure is to me and I’m often chastised for having them on while running outside on a quick errand on any given Southwestern Michigan winter’s day. Go figure!

MAPS THAT DEMANDED A REACTION
THEY ALWAYS SEEMED TO STRIKE IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS!

Yes, I’ve also lived through at least eight major hurricanes with each affording us ample time to decide whether to board-up the windows and ride them out (which we did each time) or pack the most important items and move out of harm’s way for the duration. Even in seemingly uncontrolled natural conditions, we remained in control of our destiny, to a certain degree.

Chills continue to overpower me when recalling at least two major events in Florida that changed my life and the lives of many others, especially the young and the innocent, forever! 

It was what most observers would describe as a ‘little black box,’ subdued and nondescript from the outside. On the inside it was a refuge and a home to the large LGBT community of Orlando, Florida. The patrons of Pulse Nightclub considered it to be a safe haven to just be yourself, a place where you forgot about having to fit in, and a fun venue to be able to enjoy the glitz and music with friends. 

49 PRECIOUS SOULS LOST  FOREVER AT PULSE ORLANDO.
SENTENCED TO DEATH BY THE RUTHLESS HAND OF MAN......

In the early morning hours of June 12, 2016, the world was savagely turned upside down, once again, when a 29-year-old, American born, gunman decided he had the right to eliminate the future hopes and dreams of 49 young people, along with wounding 53 others, in a mass shooting at Pulse Orlando. From 2:22 a.m. to approximately 5:00 a.m., over two and a half hours of living hell transpired with many first responders saying how witnessing the carnage had changed their own lives forever.

It was the deadliest shooting by a single perpetrator in United States history until the Las Vegas Strip shooting on October 1, 2017.

Suddenly, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida, and Broward County popped-up on our radar for all of the wrong reasons.

A Valentine’s Day Massacre for the new millennium rolled into Florida that peaceful, ‘candy heart’ kind of day when a 19-year-old former student of the school decided he could enter the premises, shoot to kill, and then walk away at his leisure. All in a days work.. He left behind him the brutal murder of 17 people (14 students and 3 staff members) and the injuring of 17 others. The images of death and suffering of our innocent youth would remain burned into our thoughts from this February 14, 2018 massacre, and gun control was being placed upon the strong shoulders of our young citizens. The first of many organized demonstrations outside the White House in Washington, D.C. began as early as February 18, 2018, four days after the shooting.

Victims of this mass shooting ranged in age from 14 to 49 years old.

We should all remember these names:

Emma González, Alfonso Calderon, Sarah Chadwick, Jaclyn Corin, Ryan Deitsch, David Hogg, Cameron Kasky, and Alex Wind.

These are the names of our future. 

These are the names of the teen survivors who instantly became activists of Students Against Gun Violence and organizers of marches for gun control and co-founders of the gun-control advocacy group Never Again MSD (Marjory Stoneman Douglas). Their battle cry: “We can’t let fear consume us,” and this is why Parkland activists won't give up! They are today’s critics of politicians who are supported by the National Rifle Association; they may serve as tomorrow’s leaders fighting for a better, safer world.

STUDENTS PROTEST GUN VIOLENCE OUTSIDE OF THE WHITE HOUSE
ON FEBRUARY 18, 2018

Courtesy of Lorie Shaull

I am reminded of the phrase: What doesn’t kill us will only make us stronger. 

There is a good chance that a certain percentage of the survivors of these callous shootings will go on to hold political positions one day in order to encourage reform and remain in control of their own destiny. What the vulnerable, young people of both Pulse Orlando and the high school students in Parkland were made to endure will live with each individual survivor for the rest of their life. This is a burden no one would legitimately wish upon their children. And yet, it has happened more than we care to think about in this country, alone.

My young grandchildren are reasoning on their own the consequences of the coronavirus in their lifetime; this includes the loss of a major portion of their last school year and whether or not it will be a responsible move to return to classes this fall. Wearing a mask over your nose and mouth in public has become the newest version of throwing on a baseball cap before exiting the back door to go play with your friends. Their biggest fear is not when they can get together with their friends but instead, if they do get together, even with precautions, could they still bring the virus home to their own family.

THE SYMBOL OF PULSE ORLANDO WILL
ALWAYS BE ETCHED INTO MY MIND

As badly as I don’t want them to have to grow-up so soon, I’m afraid that this simplistic way of thinking has been left behind by the wayside months ago. So, when I see them playing video games or perfecting no-handed back flips on the trampoline these days, I’m encouraged by this reputed normalcy and my heart swells with love and happiness!

Never, never will we forget the martyrdom our youth has been left to deal with in the form of needlessly losing friends or family due to the lack of outlined gun control laws being initiated and followed; being guided by a narcissistic president who never intended to help make life more tolerable for anyone other than himself; not being able to express their true selves due to lack of understanding and blatant discrimination; having to leave childhood behind at a very early age, and dealing with the consequences of a world-wide pandemic with seemingly no end in sight!

Surviving a few storms in life will help to make us stronger. Managing the heartaches witnessed by many young people today is equivalent to them surviving a raging hurricane every single day, for life. I pray they emerge stronger from all of their suffering and that they help to make brave new decisions and laws that will improve everyone’s life in the years to come. Lesson learned: Be mindful of the gathering of the innocent wronged. Their diligence will strike fear in the savage heart.

Be safe. Stay healthy. Wear a mask in public. Hug your children, daily.

Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

WRITING THE WAVE FORWARD ON A FIELD OF LOVE

A series of essays....

PASSING THROUGH THE EVERGREEN CANOPY THAT GENTLY FRAMES
AND SEPARATES THE FIELD FROM THE FENNVILLE CEMETERY

....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E Hughes

While I was speaking with my sister, not blood related, rather heart and soul infused, during our weekly walk together, I mentioned how my posts (essays) published each Thursday tend to sink back into the dark hallways of Washington D.C. and the acute negativity of the current administration. This subject matter used to be among my ‘go to’ topics when I was at a loss for other ideas. It is now, as for many of us, the foremost topic of conversation and concern. So, from various angles, I have broached this subject almost every week. I attribute some of this to my year of studies at Indiana University South Bend (IUSB) and the journalism classes I had taken while there.

After transferring to Michigan State University my sophomore year, my preferred style of writing slid into the prose category and was occasionally accompanied by a serious dollop of my love of photography which often served to compliment my stories.

Writing poetry was my original love and my first published piece happened while in high school when the local newspaper printed my poem about the ‘meaning of time’ I’d written for English class. It helped to clarify for me that I was headed in the right direction.             

Having moved to Orlando, Florida in 1997 to follow my husband and his employment in the construction world, I wrote several pieces for the Orlando Sentinel that were published in the travel section. I continued to work on a fiction novel that began as my third child but was already morphing into adolescence, a teenager, if not young adulthood, by this time. Once again, I contemplate the subject of ‘time.’  It always has a way of pushing, pushing forward whether you want it to or not.

In September of 2013 I began writing my current Blog, Moving On...2020, which ceremoniously (with a few clicks on my iPad keys) changes to accommodate each passing year. I am now in my seventh year and Moving On...2020, originally a travel blog, currently pulls so much more from my inner sanctum and allows me to go on wild excursions between the dark depths of my being to posting a poem or two that lovingly hover around my heart and soul.

Following along my journey which includes my writing, travel, and photography, it was always in the stars that we would return to Michigan one day. In August of 2018, we did just that and settled in a pretty little house in Kalamazoo. Constant renovation seems to be the current theme of our lives at this point. It keeps us active and looking forward to what awaits us around each corner.

When I heard the story about John Van Voorhees and Joan Donaldson of Pleasant Hill Organic Blueberry Farm in Fennville, Michigan, and saw how so many people were making pilgrimages there recently, I had to follow my journalistic nose, camera in hand, and check this story out for myself.

Honoring their son, Mateo Donaldson, who had completed a tour of duty in Afghanistan, this loving, hardworking couple chose a four-acre field on their farm and filled it to the brim with dramatic blue cornflowers, rich shades of red and pink poppies, and dainty white daisies that tend to dance at the feet of their taller blooming counterparts. 

Sadly, after Mateo returned home he suffered from PTSD and, eventually, took his own life...

Mateo and his brother had been the dedicated bee keepers on this quaint yet flourishing organic farm since their high school days, and to remember their son they decided to feed the pollinators by planting bee and butterfly friendly plants of red, white, and blue.

FENNVILLE CEMETERY WITH
VIEW OF POPPY FIELD IN THE DISTANCE

MATEO’S GRAVESITE

Mateo is buried in the Fennville Cemetery and Is just two-hundred feet away from this stunning memorial field on the Pleasant Hill Blueberry Farm next door. I’m almost certain he sneaks a peak at the patriotic waves of flowering color that his parents lovingly share with us each season and smiles down on everyone who has found solace and comfort through their unselfish efforts. 

Besides the natural beauty of this enormous project, I immediately experienced inner peace, extreme joy, and comforting hope upon entering through the evergreen canopy that gently frames and separates the field from the cemetery. The first glimpse was such a ‘mindfulness’ moment for me where nothing else existed but this sprawling carpet of love that seemed to stretch out to the horizon. 

HELPING TO FEED THE POLLINATORS

And then I began swaying with the brightly colored flowers as the breeze touched my face, my hair. Its soft, gentle notes created an ethereal rhythm and melody that complimented our dance that felt almost too perfect for this imperfect world we live in; so heavenly and spiritual compared to everything that is happening within our socially deprived pandemic routines.

That’s when the camera was unsheathed and everything impossible became possible in the eye of the lens. Snapping away, I was only inches from the bee drinking its cornflower fill, trying hard to find the perfect poppy to shoot in portrait mode when each poppy was born perfect, and drifting along the designated path sandwiched between the blue sky and heaven on earth!

I want to thank John and Joan for so many things! Thank you for providing organic farming to the public for over forty years; thank you for loving your son with all of your heart; thank you for sharing that love with those of us who feel so nurtured by it; thank you for helping to comfort other soldiers living with PTSD who are trying to find their own inner peace, and thank you for giving the bees and butterflies a home, even temporarily, to buzz and drink and flit through the air like earthbound fairies protecting their domain.

I am sharing with you, my readers, some of the many photos taken at the Pleasant Hill Blueberry Farm this week. I hope they provide you with as much joy by seeing them as I felt while taking them. Life can be such a beautiful adventure; a marvelous journey!

Stay safe and stay healthy. Please wear a mask while out in public.

NATURE’S OWN FIREWORKS!
AN EXPLOSION OF RED, WHITE, & BLUE...
HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY 4TH OF JULY.

Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved

All Photos Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes

All rights reserved