We all have hard days. And in the midst of whatever 2020 is, those hard days are a lot more common. And also, 2020 keeps us more divided in those hard days as the economy, pandemic, and political unrest keep us farther apart from one another (literally and metaphorically).

So when the prompt on my writing challenge says “Looking up,” I’m a bit challenged what to write about.

The simple answer would be to take a picture of a nearby tree or try to catch a bird flying overhead. Maybe head into downtown Portland (which again, is not under anarchists control) and stand beneath the tallest building I can find. With the slightly cooler weather, my camera and I could head to one of the city’s urban parks for find a high view, or even drive into the Gorge for something higher.

All of those things could happen, and some of them even will over the next few days.

But for this little post, I wanted to share a photograph my boyfriend sent to me. He was working at my living room desk while I was in another room, meeting with a student via Zoom. He had been arranging some toys and sharing the results with me. This one had Bunny (from Toy Story 4) and Darth Vader (a Christmas version) fist bumping.

It was good I did not see the picture until I was done with my student because I tipped over a bit laughing. A hero and a villain fist bumping. For some reason that was just what I needed to get through the day.

And today, that picture is just what I need to keep looking up. 🙂

“We are the spark, that will light the fire that’ll burn the First Order down” (Poe Dameron, Star Wars: The Last Jedi). – #52sparks is my year-long writing series for 2020, based on an art prompt challenge. The spark that lights a fire to toast a marshmallow or to ravage a forest begins in the space of an inch. This series is to explore what hundreds of inches and words can do.