Better Nature Photos Now

Life is a struggle–
just accept it.
Life is a tragedy–
to be confronted.
Life is an adventure–
dare to live it.
Life is luck–
You can bet your life on it.
Life is your life–
so fight for it.

Anonymous

I spent several hours yesterday with my cousin Bill, who is in hospice. Bill is in good spirits but he is waiting for the end. Maybe for the second time in my life, I was at a loss for words. I thought of all our shared experiences and realized that life is way too short for most of us. We come in with such promise and we leave with many things undone.

My cousin Bill told me a funny story about waking up on Tuesday. He felt good, he had slept without pain and everything was quiet. He lay there, not opening his eyes to just enjoy the peace surrounding him. He was certain he had passed on. He was comfortable with it happening, he had said all the goodbyes and hugged and kissed everyone he wanted and was looking forward to seeing all his friends he had not seen for many years. He slowly opened his eyes and saw the ceiling of his bedroom. He was still here. He had been given another day here to spend time with his wife, children and friends. Another day to complete something that was still undone. Take time to do the things that make a difference to the family, people and friends that matter the most.  Although Bill’s knows some day he might not be here to do them, we all have a time limit on our lives.  So don’t wait to say the things you want to say to those that mean the most to you.  Don’t wait to do the things you want to do.  Because life keeps moving, even it you’re not ready.

The toughest thing about being a success is that you’ve got to keep being a success…Irving Berlin
Big Brother Bodhi, the elephant celebrated his sixth birthday at the Columbus Zoo today. Having been to several birthday parties in the last couple of weeks for my favorite subjects, I was struck by how much he’s grown in the past several years.
He’s developed an interesting personality compared to many of his peers. He’s feisty if not completely a rebel yet. I’m not sure when he grew up but he is certainly becoming confident in his ability to avoid my best efforts to capture a unique image of him for his birthday. He even tried to hide behind a tree to make sure I couldn’t get a great shot of him. I’m certain he was avoiding me since at times I’m the only one with him. It’s funny when I first started to photograph him I could get a shot of him because he had crowds of fans around him and he was the darling of many Zoo visitors. Today, less so. I’m wondering, are we so jaded by little brother Beco that we forgot how rare a gift Bodhi is? I travel to 7-10 Zoos a year and none of them provide the close proximity to their young Asian Elephants. When I spend time alone with him I’m less than 10 feet away. He’s still awesome to me. My job is always trying to capture their unique quirks and personality. I’ll tell you a secret. I don’t think I’ve captured my best image of him yet. Only time will tell.
He chases geese around the yard trying to get them to leave his domain. Occasionally he gets within several feet of my friends the goofy geese and they fly off to chide him from the top of a building or flying into his bath. It reminds me of a scene out of an old black and white Charlie Chaplin movie, but better because occasionally you even get to share the stage with him. Well Bodhi, thanks for the great time today. Happy Birthday Bodhi, it’s been four great years of photographing you growing into a young adult elephant.

Partnering for Fun and Non-Profit

I’m Tricia Braden, and I’ll be guest blogging for Tripp from time to time. I’ll be talking about a topic that is near to both of our hearts; getting businesses and non-profit organizations together to form mutually satisfying partnerships. I worked for years in the non-profit arena, first in the Education Department at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan, then as Curator of Education at the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland, Ohio. Though I worked in the museum field, there are countless other types of non-profits that can use the expertise of the business world and not just in terms of financial support (although that helps immensely!).
Businesses and non-profits can create true partnerships that provide long term benefits to both parties. The non-profit can get business expertise, sponsorships, and increased exposure. The business can get increased goodwill in the community, more customers, and increased exposure. The key is knowing what each of you wants to accomplish through the partnership. To help that along, I’ve developed some guidelines that may lend a hand.

What should you say, what are their hot buttons, what’s going to hook them? These are the kinds of things you need to think through before approaching a potential partner.
1. List who you could approach for a potential partnership. Think about the synergies between your two organizations or if it’s a group you feel particularly passionate about.
2. Make a list of what’s in it for them. Clearly identify the benefit to their organization.
3. Think through, in advance, what kind of deal you want so you’re not caught unaware of when you call them.
4. Write down what you want to talk about. You don’t need to script the call, just make sure you know the key points you want to discuss to keep the conversation moving.
It doesn’t matter if you are a business or a non-profit, the same guidelines apply. Anyone entering into a partnership wants to know how it will benefit them, before they invest the time and energy. So take a chance and try a partnership. You never know what could happen.

Beco Celebrates his First Birthday Bash
Beco recently celebrated his first birthday bash at the Columbus Zoo. I had a great time meeting with many of his friends and fans. He brings out the best in children of all ages. If you have not seen many of the new babys at the Columbus Zoo with your children you really missing something special. If you don’t have children like myself grab a bag of cotton candy and you will fit right in. I’ll see you there. I’m the one with elephant ears and the lion cub sweatshirt.

Concern for man or woman and their fate must form a chief interest of all technical endeavors…Never forget that in the midst of your diagrams and equations…Albert Einstein

As we work daily to help create a better world and many times we forget the small things that make a difference to an individual. Take time to thank someone. Smile at someone. Make sure you take time to be in the moment with another person at least one time every day. It will make a difference to that person and you will be surprised how good it makes you feel.

There is a vitality, a life force, an energy that is translated through you; and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique…Martha Graham

Understanding the unique gifts you bring to the world can take a lifetime to discover. I learned this through my Aunt Jeanne. She passed away on Good Friday, last week. I really got to know her after she lost her husband. We spent many times talking about her life and the people in it. She had an uncanny ability to remember every person in her life and their unique contribution. She remembered the most incredible things about her eighty-two years.

Two years ago, when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, she was very concerned that she wouldn’t be able to remember her life and the people she cared about. She told me there was good news and bad news about that. She said the good news was that she would put me on speed dial so if she got confused she could call me. The bad news was she wasn’t certain she would remember me. She called me at all times of the day or night to ask me questions about what was going on in her life so I could remind her. When she first got the disease she talked about everyone who was important to her life. There was quite a list; she covered her children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, sisters and brother, mother and father and grandparents and in-laws. She wanted me to be able to remind her of all the special people and events that had happened in her life. I wish I had written it down.

One of my favorite memories was when she first entered an assisted living center. They gave her an A badge so caregivers would know she had what she called old-timers, her description of Alzheimer’s. She was like a young rebel teenager when she talked about finally getting a scarlet letter after all of these years, if she could only remember what it meant! She made me laugh until I cried with her funny stories about her children, family, and friends. Even at the end, she could tell you what made a person special, unique. What an unusual gift, and it made her special to me.

I was trying to decide what image to put up to remind me of my Aunt Jeanne. Most of her favorite stories talked about how she had struggled through many challenging times. From family divorces, to scraped knees and the Great Depression, to the loss of her memory, she carried on and still kept in good spirits about it. It requires a certain kind of stubbornness to keep on keeping on, regardless of what life throws at you. In that way, she reminds me an aging black rhino. They just keep on going.

I’ve done a lot of work with the elderly. I’ve discovered that the ones that survive don’t have easier lives; they’re just too stubborn to give up. They can always find something positive or the humor in almost everything. And that was my Aunt Jeanne. I’m sure going to miss her.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing… Saint Paul
People often ask me why my company is called Artist’s Light. Here’s why. When I spend time in hospices or travelling with creature’s great and small I am reminded that our creator is an extraordinary artist. He or she touches each of us with unique gifts, strengths and life experiences. We honor them by sharing them with others. I strive every day to honor the Lord with my gifts. I am reminded every day his greatest gift is unconditional love.
Have a Happy Easter and enjoy the greatest gift with your family and friends. Take time to remember all your gifts and I bet you will find your greatest gifts is love.

Prejudices, it is well known, are most difficult to eradicate from the heart whose soil has never loosened or fertilized by education: they grow there, firm as weeds among stones. Charlotte Bronte

Knowing who and why you are who you are is the first step to wisdom. Any time you can find an opportunity to better understand yourself take it. You will be surprised how self awareness accelerates your growth. Lion cubs learn how to interact with each other by learning from others in the pride. They learn from the elders and other family members at first, then over time discover their own unique gifts and strengths. Lions survival in the wild is decided by how well they can work together.

I think we can learn from them in this manner. We need to be more aware of how to work as a team if we hope to thrive moving forward. As we enter the final days of the Easter holiday, we would do well to remember the message of Christ was carried forth by a community of followers committed to creating a better world.