Yesterday as I was driving along the highway to a family wedding,
I saw that enough leaves have begun to change color. As happy a I was to see the beautiful colors of gold, orange and red I wasn't quite ready to accept this sign, needing sweaters, coats, gloves, boots and shovels.
Change is stressful even when good...
Getting a new job, buying a home, getting married, having a baby, retiring, ...all things people plan,
look forward to in the future, and bring joy to their life. But change also can be more abruptly shaken when change is something you were not planning or looking forward to, it becomes even more unsettling:
a loved one dies, an illness is diagnosed, a natural disaster occurs, a loss of job, a car accident.
Change can be confusing, making one feel lost. We are knocked out of our comfort area. Things become uncertain and we just do not know what to expect. We ask ourselves, "Who am I now?"
"How will I make it through this time in my life?" Whether change is accepting a new reality or adjusting to autumn moving to winter, it takes us a minute to find those answers and cope with the situation.
I remember how, incredibly difficult it was to be a caregiver of four loved ones through a span of eight years of my life. Each loved one had various diagnoses or terminal illnesses. How did I survive? As I moved through this change, I encountered denial, anger, resentment, resistance and I bargained with my faith to help my loved ones. I searched for hope and waited and waited, unable to move, sometimes over-reactive.
I realized as a caregiver, as the changes were occurring, I was letting go of something and becoming something new. I had to focus my attention on my young daughter who needed strength and stability. I tended to my loved ones with the utmost care but I was still a wife, mother, daughter, artist and full-time employee.
And so, as we move through change, whether it's personal, seasonal, environmental or political, we are always letting go of the old and embracing the new. Are we courageous enough to let go and be open to the new patterns in our life so it grows strong and beautiful?
In the painting, "Sweet Refreshment" the water fountain symbolizes the renewal change brings in one's life. The magic of fairyland shows one to be open to new ideas and creativity. To embrace life in all its glory.
Sometimes it requires only to be present in mind and a commitment to giving back. To help others in need, the homeless, the poor, the survivors of natural disasters. Yes, one experiences change in so many ways. Some good, some not so good, but if we stay resilient, it is our choice how we move forward.
XO,
Patty
Prints available at www.pattyblipinski.com
#blog #change #painting #watercolor #prints
'Sweet Refreshment'
Watercolor
