The Beauty of Hope

WARNING: This post contains optimism and descriptions of scenes of natural beauty which might be triggering to those sensitive to positivity. Read at hour own risk.  

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” 

― Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan 

To be honest, I can’t say I’ve greeted each day with optimism of late.  In fact, there have been a number of times when I awoke filled with a slight sense of dread.  This morning felt different, like a bit of hope had been sprinkled on the world at dusk to be discovered when I ventured out to walk the dog.

It was that magic hour when the night slowly trades places with the day.  Pearl, my 16 year old beagle, always stops on the porch steps to sniff the air thoroughly, so she knows what she’s getting into. I paused to take a deep breath too.  The air smelled green and wet with the raindrops from an overnight shower still dripping slowly from the trees.  Shadows of the night clung to the corners, curbs, and crannies of my world as as the palest of pinks painted the eastern sky beneath the stubborn glow of a planet too bright to disappear in the rising daylight.  A pair of bats winged to and fro in a wandering waltz accompanied by a steady chorus of crickets.

As Pearl and I made our way down the quiet streets, past dark houses sheltering sleeping neighbors, pink turned to gold in the sky and the cricket choir quieted and retired to the shelter of the woods to be replaced by birds greeting the day with cheerful chirps and by the low hum of traffic building on the interstate as the world got about it’s business. Before long, walkers and runners joined the morning, moving with purposeful energy.  

There is no stopping all of this. The sun keeps rising, and birds keep singing.  I can’t help but feel how beautiful it all is.  We’re all in this together.  Momentarily, I’m filled with the hope and promise of a new day - another chance to discover the art which fills my heart and try to create something beautiful to share with the world.

Everything is Going to be Okay

Hi.  It’s been a while.  I’ve been busy.  As I’m sure you’re aware, almost overnight the world went from sociable, thriving, “normal”, to socially distant, frightening, and decidedly not normal.  I had to transform my little art business from something based on interacting in public spaces to a not-so sociable paint-at-home solution.  And let me tell you, through the last few months of scrambling, reinventing, creating, and hustling, I was scared.  I was terrified of losing all I’d built over the last ten years, being unable to pay the bills, and of my loved ones getting ill.  Like so many of you, I lost sleep as I listened to the news and longed for words of reassurance and comfort.  I just wanted someone to tell me everything would be okay.

In the course of a few months, I’ve learned a lot. I’ve seen members of my various communities resolving to work together and face challenges with imagination and creativity. While missing the closeness of others, I’ve been touched by kinds words and generous gestures.  I’ve discovered that my community is largely supportive of those who, when knocked down, pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and try again. 

I still want someone to tell me everything’s going to be okay.  That’s what we all want to hear, but who can possibly tell us that? The world is upside down and topsy turvy, and we’re just trying to hang on.  No one can tell us what tomorrow holds, but I can tell you one thing…in this one moment, right now, while I sit and type this, everything is okay - in just this one moment for sure.  I am breathing.  I can turn and look out the window and see that the sun is still shining even behind clouds, birds are still singing, and trees are still giving.  The world has been through worse.  I can only hope I’ll come out stronger and kinder on the other side.  

Everything is going to be okay.  I’ll just have to say it to myself.  Sure, I’m still worried, but I have faith that I can still create something that people want and need - that I can still do some little thing that will make the world a brighter place.  I’ll just keep on keeping on and creating art from my heart.  I hope you will too.