by Studio Pause member Colleen Moore
I have lived in the DC area off and on since 1994. One of the things I have always wanted to do was go see the Cherry Blossoms in the spring, but I never did.
When I first moved here, I just simply never made it down to the Tidal Basin during the spring. I do not know why, but I just never did. When I moved back here in 2004, I weighed over 300 pounds and was very sick. I could barely walk or breathe and going to walk around the Tidal Basin was an impossibility. I really regretted not only gaining so much weight, but also not taking advantage of the opportunity to experience one of DC’s best spring-time events years earlier when walking was not such an issue. You really do not know what a gift walking is until you lose the ability to do so without effort.
In 2012, I resolved to do something about my weight and overall health. I had the gastric by-pass surgery and lost 127 pounds. I can now walk and breathe without any effort at all. This has opened up a whole new world for me. And every year since the surgery, I have made it a point to go see the blossoms in the spring. I love those walks and cherish every minute because I know what it is to not be able to make that walk. I look forward to it every year, now.
I have taken hundreds of pictures during these walks. These photos represent the new life I have created for myself. I have printed up my favorites and will be selling them at the Holiday PAUSE: Bookmaking and Art Sale at Studio Pause this Saturday, December 19, 2015. I hope you will join me!