THE GIFT

Some people come into your lives and are there for just a short time. Others, come and go when it is convenient for them. And then, there are the ones that are there for the long haul....the ones that love you despite all your warts and comments. They seem to see you for what you really are and give you a card that says exactly that: "You are wonderfully made, original, and here to do amazing things." Yes, I am! And so are YOU!

How does one person become so wise in such a short amount of time here on earth? She is full of compassion, love, and kindness and exhibits it in her daily life by the way she lives. She gives me this card for my birthday but does she realize that SHE is the true gift? That SHE  is exactly all these words? They say that what we see in other people is a mirror of what is inside of us. I think that I believe that because in this case I see my life as being truly blessed and full. It is filled to overflowing with the gratitude that I feel for this person.

I remember years ago, when talking about the care of my mother to another person, that person said to me "Teri...we do it because it is the right thing to do." How those words seem to haunt me now. The right thing to do. I know that in my life I have made some horrible mistakes and said some things that I am sorry for but they have always come from a place of caring.

It is just now, at the age of 62 that I am realizing that not everyone sees what I see...that no matter how much I explain myself to someone, that person will never, ever be able to actually see what I am or what I mean because we all have different points of view. We are all unique individuals but yet we each come with our own set of eyes and vantage point. For years I thought that if I could just make my point well enough that my point would be observed and accepted. Not true. What a revelation. But this revelation comes with some difficulty to me to. What point is there in making ANY point, if mine is uniquely mine and yours is uniquely yours? Is there any point in discussing things, discussing issues, talking about my innermost thoughts and feelings? There has to be some bleed-over, doesn't there? Some dissemination of thoughts and information? Otherwise, why were we given the ability to think...to reason?


All I know at this point in my life is that I am blessed to have the people in my life that I do. I am blessed beyond compare. And what I have finally realized at this ripe old age of 62 is that YOU are the gift to me. I don't need presents every time I see you because you come wrapped in all the glory of god. And for this, I am eternally grateful for. You have blessed me and you do things "because they are the right things to do."!!

ART ON MY WALL

Art on my walls is very diverse with a combination of art that I have purchased by other artists, art that I have done myself, and lately...art by my granddaughter Natalie.

Children's art is wonderful! It is full of spontaneity, color, and a freedom that I sometimes struggle with for hours. It is hard to make it child-like most often but a child has that freedom to do something straight from the heart without being tainted by life experiences and pre-conceived notions of what art "should" be like.

Natalie gave me this painting when she lost her first tooth. Look at how she was able to capture the movement of the tooth coming out of her mouth! Look at those eyes! Those eyes themselves tell a story...half-closed, green...is that pain they express or something different? I see something especially wonderful in this face! The mouth with all its teeth carefully delineated by the dark pen...the eyelashes, the golden yellow hair. And that hand! Talk about abstract art! That hand comes straight up from the bottom of the page and does not have "fingers" per se. It doesn't need them to hold on to the tooth that has just been expelled from the mouth. It is not the main focus of the drawing, hence it takes a back-stage so-to-speak to the actual topic of the drawing: the TOOTH and THE MOUTH!

I am so lucky to have Natalie give me so many drawings. I keep them all too! I have an art portfolio for all her art and I know it sounds like something a grandmother would do but this grandmother has a degree in art and appreciates the finer things that hang on her wall!

AFTER THE STORM

Last week we had rain storms, lots of wind, and a bit of thunder and lightning. I never like the thunder and the lightning, but the rain is always a welcome element in the garden because it helps me water the yard. Last year, none of these flowers even existed in this yard. We have lived in our new home exactly a year now and each weekend, I add more flowers, more grasses, more growing things to this yard.

One of these days, I will be able to look outside and really see the accomplishment of hard work that I have put into the yard. Hours are spent weeding, raking, planting...and it is never work for me. I think if I had my way, I would be out in the yard all day long. There is just something so spiritual about being in the midst of nature. It seems easier to tap into that when you're right in the middle of it. I sometimes have to remind myself that all that wonder exists when I am stuck inside scrubbing a floor or doing the dishes. Yet, I know that I can find the spiritual side in those simple things too. It's just that I have to remind myself to do so a bit more.