# Pulling Earth #17: A bridge, shells and a moment

By [Pulling Earth](https://paragraph.com/@pulling-earth) · 2022-02-17

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![Shell. Dec 30, 2021.](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/fb1d8b99fdd72c885bad1eb6a1a7ea0e6d77ca9628205311fd047a7e6a0e7972.jpg)

Shell. Dec 30, 2021.

_Previously posted on_ [_pullingearth.substack.com_](http://pullingearth.substack.com)_. Dec 30, 2021._

_Happy holidays everyone! I hope you are well and enjoying the season. I will be posting everyday this week to ensure my days are purposeful and reflective. Join me! Let me know what you are doing to slow down and just be._

We step delicately, then jump when the water hits our boots. We are gathering stones, shells and sticks to make a bridge. We want to cross over the winter stream! So far we are winning. Fallen tree branches from the wind storm serve to connect each bank; stones and shells fill in the gaps. The current is fast and our hands sting from the cold. I pocket a few of the zebra muscle casings for later.

At home, I outline the small shell grabbing my 4H pencil to start. The family gathers for lunch just as I begin. Someone bumps the table. They chatter about my sketch. I’m not used to sharing this part. I try to stay open to this new moment. Elsie organizes my pencils. F pencil, please. I am ready to go darker. Not perfect, a few splashes along the way, but a moment expanded. Winning.

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*Originally published on [Pulling Earth](https://paragraph.com/@pulling-earth/pulling-earth-17-a-bridge-shells-and-a-moment)*