Nurturing

When we think of nurturing we think of mothers caring for their young until they are ready to fly the nest, and with birds, either with a gentle persuasion or a little push the bird is launched into the air with the knowledge that 'its' mother knows best', it has all the tools to complete the task of flying, it is ready!

As a young artist on my journey, I didn’t realise I needed to be in an environment of encouragement. On several occasions I allowed myself to listen to the negative criticisms of others and took it to heart, believing instead that they were right and I stopped being creative. Years later I discovered was not about my art, but about their own insecurities and dreams that had been killed at an early age.

I then began the task of hiding behind numerous other activities which didn’t bring the joy that I had found being creative, but would dip my toe in every now and then remembering what I really wanted to do. The catalyst that would change everything was suggesting to the day care centre for dementia that my mother attends that I could do a weekly art session with some of the clients. They agreed and I started the sessions.

I had to encourage  80 year old men and women who had been told that they were useless at drawing and who had not picked up a pen to do any kind of creative activity for nearly 70 years.  Some of them just didn’t see the point. Each week I would try different tactics until we got the balance right.

Six months later they were looking forward to the 2 hour session. We would combine creativity with singing and reminiscing, and we would regularly display their work, the art sessions continued for 2 years!

Encouraging the participants encouraged my heart and I decided that I would follow my passion to create, nurturing my dream for me.  I would spread my wings and fly into the adventure of self discovery, joy, understanding, and love. Think about any dreams you have that need nurturing, are there ideas you have pushed to the background for fear of what others think or don’t understand? and what barriers have you overcome?

Motherhood

I have written many posts about my mother, how she inspires, and has a joy to life, I hope at her age I am as vibrant and fun...

......and I have written about my son who is a blessing, who makes me proud, makes me laugh and is going to be 16 this year!

I am also a stepmother to Ahisha, who I have seen grow up into a beautiful young woman, and I hope I have and can continue to be equally as encouraging and inspiring...

Landscape

We can inhabit a variety of different landscapes, and I love living in environments where there is green, lush plants that give off delightful aromas.  In my own space I try and make sure that I have colour and many plants that bring their own scents at various parts of the day.  As an artist this variety enables my creativity to grow.  Living with the different seasons changes this environment but each one is there that stability in knowing that the changes will bring about a richer landscape.

This made me think about our hearts and what our hearts landscape looks like.  How we relate to others as we go through our experiences and what are we like as people to each other.....
....

Are we indifferent, cold and uncaring...

Do we only have harsh words to say to one another, are our actions based on hurts and deep wounds that we suffered.....

Or are we encouraging, supportive and caring, being a blessing with what comes out of our mouths, with every word we speak we can either support someones dream or tear it down.

At the end of the day our experiences have brought us to where we are now and we have a choice.  Many have gone through a season of the different landscapes.  Do you remember those people who spoke encouraging words to you as you were growing up, or who are in your life now?

Let us be the people that others will one day look back and think he/she was really a blessing in my life......what kind of landscape are you carrying around with you?  

Keepsakes

My father passed away 19 years ago and there are many things I would have loved to have told him, shared with him.  Every now and again my mind runs on him and wonder how differently things would have been had he still been alive, in the sense of my mother and living and coping with the dementia, would she have developed it, would I have spent half as much time with her getting to know her now I am an adult.

When he died I didn’t want to get rid of anything of his, as my mum cleared his stuff out, I moved things into my then flat, I wanted them around me to remember him. Over the years, moving and having a son of my own, space became a premium and I had to decide what I wanted to keep, which now amounts to a few rings, cufflinks, and tie clips and they all fit neatly in a box which was also his.

He would have been 83 this year and when I look around at my possessions I wonder what my son would take as his keepsake to remember me when I’m gone, or are all those things I hold on to only of value to me!