After taking a photograph of an amazing sunset, where the bright orange, vibrant colours were at the top of the sky and the bottom, with a space in between, I found myself looking more at the space in between. My thoughts progressed to thinking about space and spaces and that sometimes the space between things is almost more important or as important as those either side. The space in between notes of a piece of music, the pauses in between words, the blank spaces in a work of art, the space in between our rambling thoughts and the times of peace providing “space” in our day.
There is something here that can perhaps be related to this pandemic; the beginning of the pandemic and there will be the end (eventually) and we are in the “space in between”. It sometimes feels like a type of limbo, but just as the importance of the spaces in a piece of music, perhaps this “space” we are in is just as important. Perhaps this space is something that should be respected and appreciated, a time to pause and reflect, a time to acknowledge the past, but be fully present in the now whilst looking forwards for a brighter future.
I think that we have all become more aware of the very immediate reality of death, and for me, it has made me appreciate my life and the things in my life so much more. I now understand what living in the present means and that living every day as if it was your first and last is now much more real to me. I understand that we should grab every opportunity with both hands and look at the world with fresh eyes. This for me, is the “space” I am now in, and I think I will be looking for more space in my day to reflect and more space in my thoughts to enable me to live more and more in the present moment.
The concept of space is really relevant and important at the moment; we literally need to have 2 metres space between others for survival; space in our homes for a lot of us is limited, and needing our “own space” has never been more obvious. When saying the phrase “I need some headspace” the idea of how important it is for our minds to actually have space from the noise and stimulus around us has I think, for me become even more prevalent. Human connection is a vital need but it is also clear how important our own physical and mental space is. I think probably one of the hardest “spaces” to be in is the time of grieving – the time between having someone close in our lives and then their death or the departure of them in our lives is possibly the most difficult longest “space” to experience but an essential part of healing.
The sunset with the space in between, reminds me of birth, life and living in the present moment and death, and the importance of the pauses, the place to reflect, to "find our own selves" and how this need for "space" is an unseen physical need and an essential requirement for a busy mind that can quite literally maintain our survival.
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