Capturing the shining spirit - without an SLR

             I have been lucky to travel to multiple beautiful places and capture what I see.  I have woken up early to catch the sunrise in sub freezing temperatures, carrying all the equipment to get that perfect shot at the perfect moment.  I have strained my neck trying to get a macro close-up of a flower or insect I have seen.  In the end I have felt a sense of accomplishment that I have come close to recording what I saw for posterity perhaps, or just personal achievement.
               On my recent trip to Delhi, I have for the first time done a different type of photography, capturing people whose shining spirit I would like to learn from, with equipment I used to be reluctant to use, because it 'did not have the advanced features I always used'.
             I do not know which moments and images I will remember more - my mother's 93 year old sister posing with her and refusing to smile because 'she did not look good with her teeth showing'.  Or my mother's younger sister seeing her older sisters' picture and remarking that my mother was wearing the same outfit today as she wore yesterday.  She has always had a keen sense of observation.
            Another intimate moment was my father (who also moves slower now, but has enormous determination and mental strength) meeting one of his closest friends.  His friend is coping with Parkinson's disease, yet the sight of my father made him jump up in excitement and clutch his hard warmly.  He also was thrilled to see me, and held my hand as if he never wanted to let go.  Having interacted with him as a young child, this was a precious moment.  As my aunt, his wife, looked on fondly, I saw an image of true love and dedication, as she strove to maintain the best quality of life for him every day.
            All these people are in their eighties.  They can no longer go for long walks, tell jokes as they used to, eat and sleep as they used to.  Yet to me, they are a shining example to younger people who have not yet had to think of aging('it can never happen to me').  What sets them apart is their indomitable spirit and determination.  Whether we like it or not, old age happens to everyone - if we can walk away with some wisdom from people like this, maybe we can handle aging more gracefully.
           I may not publish any of the images I took on my web site, or enter them in any competition.  But to me they will always remain a source of inspiration.  And I could not have captured any of the spontaneity if I had been carrying my favorite equipment with my favorite features.  I was able to do that with my smartphone.