Skip to main content

Work of art or a work in progress!


Last fall, I was asked if I wanted my portrait painted as part of an exhibit entitled "Moving Through the Unimaginable". The requester was a young woman I have long admired, but for the moment I began to doubt my admiration for her because she described the exhibit's subjects as having 'endured adversity or trauma or disease with grace'. I didn't initially see how I fit into that description, but after some discussion with my hubby and reflection, Whitney's (the requester) esteem in my eyes was restored and I agreed.

 I was looking at myself through my own eyes. Know what I mean??

 I don't see myself as exuding any grace as I've 'endured' my experience with M.S. In actuality, I get quite ticked on days like today when the sun is shining and everyone seems to be out enjoying the sunshine and balmy 42 degrees (I live in Michigan and 42 in March is a heat wave!) walking their dog, or biking or just walking. I know my pure-bred mutt Wally would like it too! 

 Through my eyes, I see the woman that longs to able to do all the things I'm unable to do anymore. Like just leashing up Wally and going for a walk. The inability in that scenario has as much to do with Wally's size and personality (he's a large, strong dog who has never met a stranger and likes to explore and not listen to me!) as my current reliance on four-wheels as my modus operandi.
There are many times when I sit at home and have a full-blown pity party complete with loud music and swearing. Yes, some of the awful four-letter words that if uttered aloud in public could get you arrested. (I live in Michigan, where a woman complained to the sheriff about some young men swearing and those young men were ticketed or jailed or fined because there is a law!) Or I see the woman that stopped fully-participating in this thing called life because it was too damn difficult to schlep her wheelchair in the cold and snow; so she mostly sat at home adding pounds and adding up excuses.

 So, I have these thoughts and have been known to call myself and this disease by some really awful-make-a-sailor-blush names. But I didn't and don't want anyone else to have pity on me or look at me they way I have at times looked at myself, so I would pull up my big girl pants and venture out. I'd smile when I didn't feel like it and almost triple-dog dare you, with my smile to feel sorry for me. Here's the clincher - I found the more I lived out there with my peeps the more grace I found for me. 

 I'm pretty resilient (if you've read any of my posts you know what I mean) and I have managed through most trials to truly find a bright side. Not superficially, either, been to genuinely see some good. And once I spent time reflecting more  on that, I realized that going through the unimaginable with grace doesn't mean an absence of bad days or sailor-swearing. I'm work in progress like all of us, after all. And that, dear readers, is my take away. Plus the artist, Donna St. John, did an exceptional job on the portrait that we'll get to keep (it is NOT going over the fireplace) and with all the outstanding works in the exhibit. 

 Did you ever in your wildest dreams imagine that little old me would be a work of art??? A piece of work maybe! Click below to learn more about this fabulous exhibit.

 Moving Through the Unimaginable
Labels:
Location: 5601 W 700 S, Jonesboro, IN 46938, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

It's not a popularity contest, but ...

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling

I put my pride aside and got my ass off the grass and into the wheelchair. {I spent a couple minutes deciding whether to put an exclamation mark after that declaration or to put the period after that statement. I think the period better suits my mood about getting said ass into the wheelchair!} On July 4, Saugatuck has a wonderfully unique parade that includes quirky participants like the artsy-fartsy campers at OxBow art colony and the LGBT members of a local foundation along with the more traditional participants like Girl Scouts, fire trucks, and local politicians. It had been a couple years since I had been to the parade, this year, though, my Mom and sister were in town and I wanted to take them. So we loaded up in the van, including Kerri's wheelchair and my own. Once we parked, John asked if I wanted to use my chair and I initially balked but then remembered that it can be a long, hot parade and it might be better to have a place to sit. So, I acquiesced and took the cha...
2 comments
Read more

Fairy Tales

What do London Bridge, Humpty Dumpty, The Three Little Pigs and Kathleen Piggins have in common? They all fall down!  Well with the Three Little Pigs it's not the pigs that fall but the house but I have three not-so-little Piggins and it just seemed appropos to include that fairy tale here! Because this is a tale about falling down. But it's also about getting back up! At last night's Douglas Social  my friend Kris and I meandered through the crowd greeting and often hugging friends along the way to the beer/wine tent - I spotted a friend that recently moved to the area and went to give her a big hug. and after proceeded to fall flat on my arse. Time seemed to stop and it felt that the all eyes in the crowd were on me as I landed and then proceeded to get back up with the help of friends. One of the saddest part of the fall, was that I had just gotten my first glass of wine and it was now all over me.  I thought "Thank goodness I was drinking white". And t...
1 comment
Read more

March Madness

The March on Washington was one of the most powerful and positive experiences in my life - all 56 years of this life. And this post, I have to warn you, will be as disjointed as the March! I got to go with Matthew!! And we weren't sure if Delaney was going to be able to join us, but were thrilled that she could. She got to our hotel about 6:30 am having driven all night with two of her friends. After less than an hour, we all piled into the Subaru and began our trek through the complicated and congested DC highways and byways. After our drive Friday along the tollway through Ohio and Pennsylvania, where we encountered many many many others also going to DC and the March - I wasn't surprised by the traffic or the packed-to-the-gills Metro on Saturday morning. What did surprise me, however, was that once we got to within a mile of the March, there were more people than I had ever seen in one place. Okay so the last picture wasn't taken at the March - but it se...
Post a Comment
Read more