How it can have changed over from November to December already, I do not know… there has been much that has brought each week into the next, and into following month. Wishing you all sanity and moments of peace as we enter this last 31 days of the year.
“Although thoughts of my mother were rolling around in my mind in the silence , I was not aiming to paint about her directly... I had to laugh by the end, as I counted 8 orbs below the main, the number of children she raised. I register more and more deeply, the intention and effort she put into the daily care of such a large crew, and struggle enough with just our two. It is interesting how we parent differently than our own upbringing, and that we can weave the best of what we were fortunate to receive into the fabric for our children. I am aware that this extends to the nurturing and connections that exist with our friends, as well, widening the circle of influence, once again. Especially in this holiday season, a difficult time for many, let us be tender with the hearts of all those we pass.”
“After a night which let me know of residual remnants rolling in my mind after days of deep processing, I awakened yearning for space to just be... our minds need to breathe as much as our lungs, I think. Time is so important to let ourselves experience, even if tiny intentional increments are all we can find. I am grateful for the growth that can come from deep exploration, and for the gift of choice when we realize we have it.”
“Reaching for my flat brushes this morning, needing somewhere different to begin, broad swatches of color began to fill the space. As each block became alive with hue, they grew into holding spaces for the things we all dream, hope, hurt, discern over, and are brought to the surface or gently placed back into safe containment until we are ready to bring them forth into action. The gift of being listened to by others, wholly and without judgment, is a precious thing. May we all bring light to one another by the simple and powerful gift of presence.”
“What are you incubating in your life? It is a question I find of greater importance and urgency the older I get, realizing it is a question every bit as important (and maybe even more so) than in my younger years, when I was not yet as aware of what I wanted in life, or maybe justnot as able to fully receive it. I am reassured that we can bring forth things both big and small, in the very moments in which we have, and those that are yet to come...”
“As evidenced by the warped paper laying underneath the layers and layers of pigment, this painting just went on and on and on— and not because I wanted it to (although I admit to feeling resistant to painting this morning)— I tried to counter that by painting simply and without expectation. It did not work. So I dug into the task of correcting, overcorrecting, adding, subtracting, layering yet again, lightening, and darkening, until I have now spent 2 hours on this inconsequential thing. Oh well. I am calling it as finished as it is going to be, and letting it go, mirroring the real things we face daily in our lives, when the outpouring of energy may or may not bring about the desired outcome. I am grateful to move on with my day, and wish you ease and speed in moving through that which challenges you today :).”
((Part two to this circle came a couple of hours after posting the circle:
“What I was really painting about in my circle this morning was those loved ones that have gone on before us and how present they remain in our lives in the very midst of their absence. Because I struggled so much to convey that in the circle, I decided to write only about my frustration in its creation... until I processed with a friend afterward and went outside to walk the dog, stunned to be greeted by a sky that reflected the circle painted in the still-dark morning. When I was little, I would create meaning by pairing all kinds of things together, seeing them as “signs” of this or that... and this is how the sky struck me— a sign that all those that we have loved and lost are still here in spirit. Perhaps I will change the title of today’s circle to the one that was first in my mind, “Those That Have Gone Before Us”. Thank you for hearing the deeper meaning of the circle, which just took a bit to share...”
“Yesterday, my friend and I were talking about the natural inclination to hone in on the small details that impart beauty, wonder, and appreciation that goes beyond what is first seen. We remarked how children come to this place without trying, and gravitate toward those small unusual things that bring a sense of specialness or intrigue to something. It is a quality that we are never too old to delight in and one which I hope just deepens as the years go by... May we all find glimmers in the ordinary.”
“Although it is the first day of December, the sound of rain filled my ears through the night and pounded as I awoke this morning. I can think of few things as soothing as the sound of a good rain and allowed myself to float in its reverberation against my windows, knowing the creek at the bottomland is swelling with its waters, and that all life on these lands, near and far, are sustained by this source. Wishing you all the peace and vitality that is brought by rain...”