This is home. Home in the sense of feeling, in the sense of being. As I have grown older, I have not forgotten where I came from and all the people that have invested in my life. This weekend was a celebration of love, of new life, and of family.
The weekend was filled with copious amounts of Tim Hortons, showering babies with love, secret family recipes, outdoor adventures, pub poutine, and hometown pride. It all began with a baby shower celebration for my twin nephews, Peter and Henry. There were many emotions present, but the greatest was love. Lots of laughter was accompanied by great food. And while all the moments of that day were special, one was incomparable to the rest. My grandma, who passed away a few months ago, was working on an afghan for my sister's babies. She only partially completed one before she passed. My aunts got together and found someone to finish crocheting the beautiful blanket and presented the finished product to my sister. This was truly a beautiful moment as my sister and her husband wrapped up their baby boys in the hand stitched, heartfelt blanket.
While nothing could surpass the beauty of this event, there were other memorable moments along the way. Among the ferns at the shower, sprouted numerous Trilliums. These flowers, which are considered endangered, have great significance in their meaning and symbolism. It's scent is said to encourage transformation and tranquility. While this has been an extremely transformative year for my family, with great trials and great occurrences, I know that we are all awaiting the tranquility that follows a storm. I felt a bit of that peace this weekend.
With that peace and moving beyond the emotions of celebrating without a loved one, we laughed more than we cried, and we enjoyed the presence of family. The following day was filled with more adventures. My husband, who has been to Canada numerous times, has still never truly received a proper tour of Peterborough. We set out to show him all that the city had to offer in a few short hours. Walking among the true north Maples towards Peterborough's most infamous landmark, the Lift Locks, his excitement grew. The highest locks in the world reside in the quiet suburbs. The climb to the top was definitely worth it for the view of the city.
The following day, we headed to Peterborough's Zoo. Our trip to the zoo was filled with childhood curiosity, something that I always envy. The short moment of my nephew searching for the otter in his environment lead to the embodiment of what curiosity is. Children are constantly looking, searching, discovering. And that is truly beautiful.
They say the true north is filled with beauty, and this weekend we found beauty beyond nature. I am fortunate that I was able to spend this time with loved ones and that I am approaching a calmer season of my life. This allows me to write about and share images from my personal life. However, as summer approaches, my time to document my personal life is booking up with others. But I am looking forward to a summer of documenting different people and sharing their stories with you as well.
Until then, take a look at where I come from and the amazing people in my life.
Artfully,
Nicole Lashar
