I thought the most beautiful thing in the world must be shadow
― Sylvia Plath

Earlier this week, my newest (and dearest) photographic friend (my Fujifilm X100T) and I were separated, irrevocably. Whether due to my being careless, and leaving it somewhere between the security check at reception and the hotel bar (unlikely), or being careless and not noticing somebody ease the weight I was carrying by lifting my little black bundle of joy from my shoulder (probably), I will never know. The hotel security team and bar staff left no stone unturned but my most faithful companion of these last three months was gone. The staff here, recognising my grief, welcome me each time I return to enquire about my loss.

But, there are worse things (far far worse), and this week people that I have come to know well, and call friends, have suffered a far greater loss.

A loss of a camera is a stupid and trivial thing.

A loss of life is what forces us to see other perspectives.

How we use this new perspective is what makes us who we are.

Returning to the more trivial loss of my camera. I do still have my phone. I often amuse my driver by taking snaps through the window of the car as he weaves through the morning traffic in Abuja. The image above was snapped this morning (carelessly as you can see) with my iPhone. It occurred to me that it was Friday and that maybe, just maybe, the shot might come in handy for today’s weekly photo challenge from WordPress.

So, imagine my surprise when I saw this week’s challenge.

Shadow.

This post, trivial as it is, is dedicated with affection to those I know who are suffering under the shadow of a terrible atrocity.

Right now.