Day 365 August 4, 2011

white sculpture clay, acrylic paint

Today brings an end to this daily blogging for Denise, of the blog 365 days of yoga and daily routine, and for me.  I intend to continue writing and posting images but I will do this when it feels like the right time, versus every single day; posting daily was one of the founding principles of the journey for Denise and I.  Yes, I still will do yoga asana practice every day, because I know it is such a help to me and fun as well.  Why wouldn't I?  As well, why wouldn't I continue my art practice daily?  When things feel right there is no issue with doing them, if anything, we can hardly wait to begin!

The words though, ah the words, they are more challenging for me to compose every single day so they will be posted sporadically, certainly.  Of course this resistance to daily writing goes against what many writers tell you to do, but I didn't say I wouldn't write daily, I just won't post daily.  There is a difference.

I leave you with a few words about a neighbour of mine who used to live across the road from me in Cape Breton when we were both young women.  From the vantage point of my Cape Breton farmhouse, her house was one of only two that I could see within the 360 degrees of visibility.  She and her family were from Toronto.  This is what I remember most about Sue.  She never spoke a word of criticism to anyone in my presence, even when I thought upon occasion, well, perhaps this or that should be said about X [you fill in the blank].  Sue was also soft spoken, a bit shy and she always had a personal story to share with you that cheered you up.

Sue's family was her centre; I knew her when her boys were young and whoever doesn't realize that raising two small boys is more than a full time job is a bit of a lunatic.  Sue and her husband were artists.  They worked with cloth, manufacturing luscious, wearable art garments and wall hangings.  After their family moved away, Sue went back to school and later went on to teach painting in a university.  She composed highly symbolic paintings and exquisite portraits, sometimes of her own family members.

One of my favourite memories of Sue was her joy at showing me one of her family's latest summer creations.  She walked me outside to her sprawling vegetable garden and there amidst the small rows of different vegetables was a bed of lettuce.  I mean there actually was a brass bedstead, a brass headboard and footboard set up on the ground and within its demarcated framework was a lush, thick carpet of tall lettuce leaves.  Sue's face lit up with such apparent joy as she watched me examine this work.

This tells you a lot about what was important to Sue and her family.  Laughter.  A common purpose.  Bringing an idea to life.  Sounds like a good plan for all families, don't you think?  Yes, Sue was inspirational.  May the love and joy in her life rub off on all of us.  That is the nature of love you know, whether it be love of food, love of art, love of good books, or love of family, for when you talk about love, it can always expand and include more.


Namaste.