missing in action

Mom's in the hospital, so i won't be posting for a little while...

I'll be back eventually.

some of life's hard lessons

You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.

Buddha

The past few days brought on a few heavy reminders for me...

That...

I cannot save the world.

Life is not fair - but it is sacred.

Some things don't have a solution.

Caring for myself is as important as caring for others.

We all have our own crosses to bear.

The questions are as important as the answers.

I can be sensitive to another persons' pain without
letting myself by swallowed by it.

(pastel on paper)

Sometimes, i just need to pull back and get a little perspective...

There is hope for me yet... ;-)

Remember this?

and this...

and this...

ta daaaaaa....
Kurt Cobain - boom. Done.

I bit of fine tuning with black and yellow, 
and there you have it.
I do like it, although his right eye is too big.
Or maybe his left eye is too small... ;-)

Painting and writing always help me
find my way back to myself.

You all know what i mean, right?

Even if this painting ends up sitting on my studio floor
for 5 years...

Or my journal pages end up stacked on the shelf
for the next 20 years...

the process of having given my thoughts a voice
is what matters.

I care very little what happens to it after it's painted,
or after it's written,
because for me, the purpose was simply to paint it.

To write it.

What happens to it afterwards
is up to the moon and the stars. :-)

Happy weekend everyone.
xox

if we have a choice, we are already the lucky ones

hello my lovely followers!

(yes, if you're following me - you are lovely!) 

Last night, i watched the PBS documentary called HALF THE SKY.

(you can watch a trailer here).

This morning, i woke up and felt like this.

Some days, I walk on air

and other days

i carry the weight of the world on my shoulders.

Today is one of those days.

The PBS documentary.

Lack of sleep.

Overdue and unexpected bills to pay.

A sick mother.

Tight deadlines.

Lack of energy and focus.

A broken heart.

A fork in the road.

Unanswered questions.

So before i spiralled into denial, 

and a frustrating, unproductive morning -

i made the choice to shut down the computer,

get my flip flops

and walk to the beach near my home.

And there, i sat quietly with my hands and feet in the sand,

and listened to the wisdom of the ocean.

I contemplated how lucky i was to have choices.

I listened to the crashing waves

I heard the wind in my ears

and the air in my lungs.

I watched the birds as they flew

only inches from the water

and wondered how they knew this would ease their flight.

I heard my heartbeat.

I thought of those little girls

somewhere on the other side of the globe

and the misery they bear

and I could hardly make sense

of how different two realities can be

on this one same planet.

Beliefs can make us or break us.

Some of these girls are taught that they have no choice.
Some of these girls have a choice, but don't yet know it.
We take choice for granted.

Some of these girls believe they deserve no more
than a miserable existence,
because it is god's will...

Regardless of whether or not we are here

in this moment

life is.

Watch a sunset or a sunrise.

Notice the moon and the stars.

Hug someone you love.

Take a walk in the woods.

Go to the ocean.

Take it all in, while you can

and if you can,

be a beacon for those who are in the dark.

xox