Bursting Forth – There is beauty all around when we open our eyes to see.
Acrylic on Canvas/ Wood Frame/ 37” x 31” / $ 599
“Oh, What a Beautiful Morning, Oh, what a Beautiful Day”
The words from the Oklahoma musical, ring true if we let them. Life is sweet and it is ours to relish every moment. It’s time to remember that there is good in the world. No matter how riled up we get because of politics, violence or economic uncertainty, there are moments of beauty and kindness that need our attention and appreciation. No mater what the outcome of the election, no matter how serious the illness, no matter how great the loss, the sun will still rise tomorrow, the earth turn on its axis and two rovers will send signals back from Mars. November is the month of Thanksgiving. Let’s cherish it and encourage what is good.
The other day I watched a newborn child and thought how fortunate she was to be welcomed into the arms of loving parents. Warmth, security and encouragement will most likely be there to help this child prosper. Looking at the tiny body, I imagined the first real smile (not from gas) she will bestow on her caregivers and the bonds that are forming forming in her first days alive. I wanted to reach out and feel the soft fuzz sleeping eyes and a perky little mouth that occasionally moved a while she slept as though dreaming of milk.
I recently organized a group of women in my exercise facility to open hearts and purses to help a locker room attendant. The aide was a courageous Ethiopian immigrant who, along with her Somalian husband, settled in the U.S. seven years ago. Due to an injured knee, this hard working helper lost several months of work, adding to the burden of her struggling family. The love and kindness exhibited by generous donors reminded me of how people in small towns come together to help neighbors. Americans can be very benevolent and compassionate, not like the media occasionally depicts us.
Struggling through misfortune is not easy, but if the day’s challenges are met with positiveness and zeal, it is possible to climb over and around obstacles. Not being ashamed or reluctant to ask for help and being available to aid friends and neighbors when needed, creates community. It brings people closer together and enables them to get through the rough spots and return to a state of balance.
My experience, however, is that most people, don’t want to stay very long in quiet equilibrium. Surprisingly, to avoid boredom, they insert barriers that shake things up a bit. Having a child, attending college, accepting increased work responsibilities, challenging athletic times, sailing in rough weather, making a happy home are burdens we choose to stimulate our minds, develop meaning and create wealth. Self-inflicted problems within our control usually add to a sense of well being.
a baby crying for hours can create unexpected headaches. Illness, accidents, job loss, housing evictions and violence builds huge fences that have to be scaled. How does one face bullying or terrorism without being permanently traumatized?
It’s certainly not easy . . . but it is doable. There is a choice. The afflicted person can wallow in self-pity or seek ways to climb out of the quicksand. Meditation, mindfulness, positive thinking and hard work are learned pursuits that lead back to balance. Remaining active even when you don’t feel like it and accepting small challenges when life feels insurmountable, provides bounce-back.
I watched my adopted boy, Seth, thrive despite experiencing a debilitating accident. He is a constant reminder of how resilient humans can be. His twenty-eight years have always been difficult. Born into an unstable family, living on the streets for four years, training to be a journeyman industrial painter, surviving a workplace accident and coping as a quadriplegic required him to invent and reinvent himself many times. Two weeks ago, out of 2,000 injured patients from throughout the country, Seth received a national award for transforming his life so well. He lives independently in a new city, drives a car with hand controls, enjoys go-Kart racing, is on a wheelchair rugby team and volunteers two days a week as a mentor to those worse off than he. Best of all, he has developed friendships. He surrounds himself with those who share positive outlooks and stays away from constant complainers. His cup is always half full.
I invite you to join me in a month-long wallowing in beauty, joy and thanksgiving. Look around to find good and tap into as soon as you can, Enjoy the sunset, feel the rain, study the birds feeding at feeders or flying south in formation and see —really see each snow flake when they start to fall. Remind that there is beauty even in the midst of sadness, that there are births in the midst of deaths. This November.
References:
NASA,(2018) Mars Exploration Rovers. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of technology. retrieved from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory web site https://mars.nasa.gov/mer/overview/
Bursting Forth – There is beauty all around when we open our eyes to see.
Acrylic on Canvas/ Wood Frame/ 37” x 31” / $ 599
“Oh, What a Beautiful Morning, Oh, what a Beautiful Day”
The words from the Oklahoma musical, ring true if we let them. Life is sweet and it is ours to relish every moment. It’s time to remember that there is good in the world. No matter how riled up we get because of politics, violence or economic uncertainty, there are moments of beauty and kindness that need our attention and appreciation. No mater what the outcome of the election, no matter how serious the illness, no matter how great the loss, the sun will still rise tomorrow, the earth turn on its axis and two rovers will send signals back from Mars. November is the month of Thanksgiving. Let’s cherish it and encourage what is good.
The other day I watched a newborn child and thought how fortunate she was to be welcomed into the arms of loving parents. Warmth, security and encouragement will most likely be there to help this child prosper. Looking at the tiny body, I imagined the first real smile (not from gas) she will bestow on her caregivers and the bonds that are forming forming in her first days alive. I wanted to reach out and feel the soft fuzz sleeping eyes and a perky little mouth that occasionally moved a while she slept as though dreaming of milk.
I recently organized a group of women in my exercise facility to open hearts and purses to help a locker room attendant. The aide was a courageous Ethiopian immigrant who, along with her Somalian husband, settled in the U.S. seven years ago. Due to an injured knee, this hard working helper lost several months of work, adding to the burden of her struggling family. The love and kindness exhibited by generous donors reminded me of how people in small towns come together to help neighbors. Americans can be very benevolent and compassionate, not like the media occasionally depicts us.
Struggling through misfortune is not easy, but if the day’s challenges are met with positiveness and zeal, it is possible to climb over and around obstacles. Not being ashamed or reluctant to ask for help and being available to aid friends and neighbors when needed, creates community. It brings people closer together and enables them to get through the rough spots and return to a state of balance.
My experience, however, is that most people, don’t want to stay very long in quiet equilibrium. Surprisingly, to avoid boredom, they insert barriers that shake things up a bit. Having a child, attending college, accepting increased work responsibilities, challenging athletic times, sailing in rough weather, making a happy home are burdens we choose to stimulate our minds, develop meaning and create wealth. Self-inflicted problems within our control usually add to a sense of well being.
a baby crying for hours can create unexpected headaches. Illness, accidents, job loss, housing evictions and violence builds huge fences that have to be scaled. How does one face bullying or terrorism without being permanently traumatized?
It’s certainly not easy . . . but it is doable. There is a choice. The afflicted person can wallow in self-pity or seek ways to climb out of the quicksand. Meditation, mindfulness, positive thinking and hard work are learned pursuits that lead back to balance. Remaining active even when you don’t feel like it and accepting small challenges when life feels insurmountable, provides bounce-back.
I watched my adopted boy, Seth, thrive despite experiencing a debilitating accident. He is a constant reminder of how resilient humans can be. His twenty-eight years have always been difficult. Born into an unstable family, living on the streets for four years, training to be a journeyman industrial painter, surviving a workplace accident and coping as a quadriplegic required him to invent and reinvent himself many times. Two weeks ago, out of 2,000 injured patients from throughout the country, Seth received a national award for transforming his life so well. He lives independently in a new city, drives a car with hand controls, enjoys go-Kart racing, is on a wheelchair rugby team and volunteers two days a week as a mentor to those worse off than he. Best of all, he has developed friendships. He surrounds himself with those who share positive outlooks and stays away from constant complainers. His cup is always half full.
I invite you to join me in a month-long wallowing in beauty, joy and thanksgiving. Look around to find good and tap into as soon as you can, Enjoy the sunset, feel the rain, study the birds feeding at feeders or flying south in formation and see —really see each snow flake when they start to fall. Remind that there is beauty even in the midst of sadness, that there are births in the midst of deaths. This November.
References:
NASA,(2018) Mars Exploration Rovers. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of technology. retrieved from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory web site https://mars.nasa.gov/mer/overview/