I'm going to try to not get too personal on this post although I have a hard time not setting the context for the pieces I post about. In this case, that makes not getting personal a bit challenging given the context of this piece is just that...it's personal. At any rate...
If you chronicled through my blog posts to date, I bet you would have a pretty high chance of guessing the association of the individual who has shaped much of my outlook on life and the world. And if you consider me a friend to any depth, I'd say you'd need not read any further to guess with accuracy that that person is my Mother. Sometimes I wish I had an entire book of all the words of wisdom she has shared with me over the course of my lifetime. I imagine the chapters would be divided according to the reoccurring themes of life. "Forgiveness" would make up an entire chapter...right there behind "Love". She's taught me lots about the importance of forgiveness. Forgiveness keeps your heart soft in the face of people and circumstances that would otherwise harden it.
Today is my Mom's Birthday. Happy Birthday, Mom!
If you chronicled through my blog posts to date, I bet you would have a pretty high chance of guessing the association of the individual who has shaped much of my outlook on life and the world. And if you consider me a friend to any depth, I'd say you'd need not read any further to guess with accuracy that that person is my Mother. Sometimes I wish I had an entire book of all the words of wisdom she has shared with me over the course of my lifetime. I imagine the chapters would be divided according to the reoccurring themes of life. "Forgiveness" would make up an entire chapter...right there behind "Love". She's taught me lots about the importance of forgiveness. Forgiveness keeps your heart soft in the face of people and circumstances that would otherwise harden it.
Today is my Mom's Birthday. Happy Birthday, Mom!
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The olive branch dates back to the 5th century BC used by ancient Greeks and Romans as a sign of peace. The white dove and olive branch was later used by Christians and then popularized as a secular symbol of peace...or in this case, forgiveness.
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"Father, forgive them for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34)
"Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do" (Lauryn Hill)
Finding forgiveness for yourself and others when you've done wrong or have felt wronged is a pretty hard thing to practice, don't you agree? Although I don't consider myself religious by many means, reminding myself of what was meant by the words above, spoken by Christ on behalf of those crucifying him, makes the alternative to forgiveness, in my comparatively moderate circumstances, seem just silly. It reminds me that I can't possibly hold people accountable for seeing the world and acting as I do given they are products of their own life's circumstances just as I am a product of my own. I often ask myself, had I lived through and seen what they had, who's to say I wouldn't have acted in the same way? I remind myself that my own experiences, just as theirs, have shaped my own faults and blind spots. Now don't get me wrong, this isn't to say we are all victims of our circumstances, we are simply products of them. But enough of the touchy-feely, let's get down to the real heart of the matter...
"Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do" (Lauryn Hill)
Finding forgiveness for yourself and others when you've done wrong or have felt wronged is a pretty hard thing to practice, don't you agree? Although I don't consider myself religious by many means, reminding myself of what was meant by the words above, spoken by Christ on behalf of those crucifying him, makes the alternative to forgiveness, in my comparatively moderate circumstances, seem just silly. It reminds me that I can't possibly hold people accountable for seeing the world and acting as I do given they are products of their own life's circumstances just as I am a product of my own. I often ask myself, had I lived through and seen what they had, who's to say I wouldn't have acted in the same way? I remind myself that my own experiences, just as theirs, have shaped my own faults and blind spots. Now don't get me wrong, this isn't to say we are all victims of our circumstances, we are simply products of them. But enough of the touchy-feely, let's get down to the real heart of the matter...
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In regard to the piece itself, I wanted clean edges and texture. To get both, I created my own stencil using a thick poster board and an X-Acto knife and filled it in with Plaster of Paris using a putty knife. Watch out, you have to be quick with that stuff (the putty, not the knife)!
The foundation is wood simply from any art supply store. I painted it a light green shade (standard).
The foundation is wood simply from any art supply store. I painted it a light green shade (standard).
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What pretty, clean edges!
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I used a paint pen to write the text.
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The intent here? I go to sleep with forgiveness and wake up with forgiveness.
I like the pic you chose.. Very cool!
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