Image of the Eyjafjallajokul Volcano © Lucas Jackson
By now, these images are all over the world, have been seen by millions, and are recognizable as a shot of lightning frozen in the massive ash cloud of Eyjafjallajökull and the relationship between a human and his horse.
I first saw the most impressive photos of the volcano at boston.com, and of those, the two that really got to me — in my gut — were these photos by Lucas Jackson and Ingolfur Juliusson, below.
In my work teaching life skills at Florence Crittenton’s Center for Pregnant and Parenting Teens, I have weekly one-on-one time with each teen mom. We work on life skills such as nutrition, communication, self-care and employment. Emotions play a part in the development of almost any life skill. Many of our clients have good reason to have the kind of anger that feels like this volcano. It’s terrifying to anticipate that if one let’s loose with the feelings inside, this is what might happen. The sparks, the darkness, the lethal flashes of electricity, the clouds of toxic ash … the way it affects everything in a around it, including the weather for everyone else… try to imagine how frightening it can be to know this power is inside you. I have so much respect for anyone — especially the teens I work with — who allows herself to feel. And allows herself to possess this much power without hurting others, her child or herself.
Horse and farmer, Iceland © Ingolfur Juliesson
Ingolfur’s photo, left, of farmer Olafsson encouraging his shaggy Icelandic horse to come out of the toxic ash at Eyjafjoll, is a primal, powerful image of the connection between humans and other species. The looming black ash cloud and the light glimmer in the horse’s eye say it all, for me. This is an urgent moment — is there enough trust?
Florence Crittenton’s clients work with horses under the tutelage and care of our attachment bonding therapist, Maria Nyberg. They receive therapy from the horses themselves as an adjunct to their attachment therapy in house. It’s a beautiful thing to witness the changes in some of our girls, as they spend time each week with “their” horse, learning to trust and open up to a being much larger than themselves.
Links:
- Florence Crittenton’s Center for Pregnant and Parenting Teens – website
- Video about the philosophy and programs of Florence Crittenton, Montana
- Florence Crittenton’s official Facebook page
- Friends of Florence Crittenton Facebook page
- best photos online of the volcano
- Lucas Jackson’s Reuter’s blog post & photos
- Ingolfur Juliesson’s photos
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