Video - Sunday's ART of Truth - "Thorns have Roses" - 12-18-22

Hello friends, welcome to Sunday’s ART of Truth.

Today, I am creating on a 12 x 12 Gallery Depth Wood Panel. I started with a base of vintage music and book pages. Layers upon layers of mixed media yumminess follows. Modeling paste, stenciling, crackle paint, and ‘the grunge’ of a raw umber glaze. Once again, the layering in this piece reminded me of so many beautiful truths. I look at the cracks made from the crackle paint and think about how we are all cracked and that does not diminish our value or our story. The cracks say that we have lived. We have fought. We fight even when we are cracked. I recall the music paper and the words written there and I am gently reminded that we must never lose our song. We must never lose the magic of music. The book pages also remind me of the power of words. We can use words to speak life or death. It was a good reminder for me.

There were so many points of inspiration as I was creating this. It was one of those pieces that just leads the way all on its own. I have had these words swirling around inside of me for a couple of weeks, and so this is where they are landing. Thorns have roses.

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns or rejoice because throne bushes have roses.” Abraham Lincoln

I was thinking about how I find myself in seasons of strong complaining. Seasons where I only see the thorns and not the roses in everyday life.

It can be hard to see sometimes, when so many things seem to come at us at once. It is challenging to see the roses when we are being pricked by the thorns of life. We get fatigued. We wonder if things will get better. We can feel defeated and then, numb.

I have been sick almost constantly the last 14 months. My immune system is not fighting. I can’t seem to not catch everything that comes around. I find I am so tired within the fight. Sometimes, the hopelessness and the fatigue takes over, and I shut down.

I chip away the things that bring me joy and wallow a bit in my misery. I think, “what is the point?” Is this ever going to get better?

In that place of misery, I only see and feel the thorns. I don’t even see the roses. I lose sight of the beauty all around me. I forget all the things that around me to be grateful for.

Isn’t that just real life though?

Have you ever found yourself in that place?

I think we all do. This is not a place or time for shame or condemnation. It is merely a reckoning. A reality check (for me, at least)

I find myself often thinking of the lessons we learn in the hard times, in the thorny times. We learn the value of our strength and our resiliency. We become reacquainted with the recesses of love, hope, and grace.

My hope for you and for myself is that we can learn to deal with the thorns with grace in the circumstance, and compassion for self and others. Also, that the thorns would be a pushed back and blurry part of our view and that the roses (gratitude) would be front and center. Leaving us with the fragrance of their presence and beauty.

May they remind us that wherever there are thorns, there are also roses.

Short and sweet today, as I continue to contend with illness.

Be blessed,

Beloved-Reborn

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