In keeping with cousin inspired stories this past month: This is my story about my cousin Paula.
If you are friends on Facebook with Paula then you have seen the many lighthouse photos she has shared. The beacon of safety and guidance resonate with her as does the solitary beautiful settings. She feels drawn to them as a symbol of faith and that is true but is not all.
She chooses many of the photos showing the changes of the day or weather – the beautiful sunset or sunrise or the fog covering the landscape. Some of the photos show birds flying nearby.
What she may or may not realize is that these lighthouses hold more than the light of faith for her. They have stories that she has heard or felt relayed in a tune. Oh, not the lyrics in a song on the radio or choir hymn at church, no these are the tunes the birds have been singing and calling to her.
Those quiet moments on her deck in the morning with a cup of coffee, she has heard the warbles and chirps of stories. The times at night sitting around a crackling fire outside when the owl or other night feathered Aves would call out their song of narrative. She was hearing the legends and memories of these solitary places and how the birds would watch over the people stationed alone or as a secluded family. How the birds would drop a feather to use as a quill so that the lonely folks could write their far away friends, lovers or family.
They told stories of the changes the lighthouses had endured. Of seeing the children play in the surf and building their stone castles and fishing for sea creatures. Harrowing tales of storms and near shipwrecks. Chronicles of gentle old couples struggling to maintain the lighthouse when no one else would come to take over the job in their declining years.
Paula can look at the photos she pulls up of the lighthouses and feels the faint knowing of it. It is like seeing a photo of a place you have been told about for years and recognizing the nuances of the spot described.
When I see a new lighthouse photo being posted, I wonder if she remembers the story that goes with that one.
So, what I would like some (or all) of you to do is this: Take one of the photos below or choose a lighthouse photo of your own (link of images below as well) and tell the story that comes to you when you see it. It can be a few words, a poem, a short story, a novel or tome of any length. Lets see if we can get enough stories or chapters to fill a week or month or volume of lighthouse stories shared here between us. What say you? I think it could be fun.
The pics of your light houses are beautiful….the sky’s are most of the wonderful back grounds for the houses.
So glad your still reading the blog Joan. It’s good to hear fron you. Thank you