I’m curious to see what everyone else did with April’s theme: one person. I didn’t dedicate much time to the challenge this month, but that didn’t pose a problem given the scope of the theme.

When I think about my place in the world, I derive part of my sense of belonging from knowing that any one person can make a positive difference. I think I’m in pretty good company here…

To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world.
~ Dr. Seuss

Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you.
~ Mother Teresa

Try to make at least one person happy every day. If you cannot do a kind deed, speak a kind word. If you cannot speak a kind word, think a kind thought. Count up, if you can, the treasure of happiness that you would dispense in a week, in a year, in a lifetime!
~ Lawrence G. Lovasik

One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.
~ John F. Kennedy

Did I miss your favourite quotation about the power of one person? If so, please share by leaving a comment (below).

And now for five photographs that relate to one person.

1. One Person, One Hour

Sometimes I surprise myself with what I can get done in one hour! Thanks to severe allergies in the immediate family, I do a lot of baking from scratch. When I worked full-time, I got into the habit of baking on the weekend – usually one or two recipes that we could pack in our lunches over the coming week. That habit has stuck! One Saturday afternoon this month I squeezed three recipes into one hour. While the first tray of chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies was baking, I prepared the bumbleberry crisp. And when the second tray of cookies was in the oven, I did the super-easy puffed wheat squares. Then I turned up the oven and popped in the crisp. Three recipes complete or in the oven within 60 minutes. Thanks to Mr. GeoK for cleaning up!

2. Instagram Campaign Targeting One Person

Earlier this year I learned that someone close to me is dealing with anxiety and depression. Since then, I’ve read several books on mental health. While I can only begin to imagine what they’re going through, some of the same things keep coming up in my readings, such as the importance of supportive habits: getting enough quality sleep, eating well, regular exercise, mindfulness and/or meditation, getting outside, keeping a gratitude journal and using worksheets to re-frame negative, feeling-based thoughts to more positive, fact-based thoughts. I try to understand and provide support as best I can.

I know this person follows me on Instagram. And around the end of January I realized that there’s overlap between some of the habits that support mental wellness and my personal project to encourage people to get out into nature as often as possible. So I put the two together and started posting more regularly to Instagram: a nature therapy for mental wellness campaign for one. I usually post a line of poetry, a bit of a song lyric or a quotation with each nature image. This tulip tree flower is one of my April grams.

From this campaign, I’ve developed a deep appreciation that mental illness affects more people than I could have imagined. Some of their comments make my heart ache and bring tears to my eyes.

3. One With the Wind

It’s been decades since I last went windsurfing, but when I saw Harold skimming across Lake Osoyoos on his windsurfer, the feeling of being one with the wind came rushing back. I know first hand you experience the same feeling on a well-trimmed sailboat. I wonder  – do you get that same sense when hang gliding or para-sailing?

4. One Person on Both Sides of the Camera

Spotting a 360-degree sun halo was one of the highlights of my mini-spring break in Osoyoos, BC. I was on a solo walk when I noticed it, and spent some time trying to use trees and shrubs to shield my camera sensor from the sun while also showing the full halo. In the end, my favourite compositions were the result of me being on both sides of the camera: one hand in front of the lens and the other holding the viewfinder to my eye so I could create a little sun flare through the gap between my fingers.

5. My One Person

I found my one person 30+ years ago. Although the way he tells it, he found me! Whichever the case, he’s there for me no matter what. Of course each of us has changed over the years, as have some of our shared activities. But we treat those as good reasons to find new shared interests. One of those is walking; we walk together as often as possible. He walks at a steady pace, whereas I tend to fall behind (because I want to photograph something I’ve spotted), and then I have to hustle to catch up (a kind of gentle interval training). Anyhow, he was far ahead of me on this snowy day in early April…my one person, on the land.

That’s it from me! Check out PBC organizer PJ’s blog and follow the links to see other interpretations of one person. And please consider joining us! The one month time frame makes for a low stress photo assignment. The key requirement is five photos; the amount of accompanying text is up to you. The next theme will be posted at a ‘lil Hoohaa on May 1st.