A Moment I will Never Forget

I’m lucky.  My mother-in-law, Josephine (Jo), is sweet as can be.  I made the painting above for her for my Hundred Thank Yous project.

Photo by Andrew Bartholomew

Here’s a moment from the Hundred Thank Yous opening that I will never forget:  Jo walked up to me crying.  She seemed totally overwhelmed with all of the paintings, the show, and with her painting.  I couldn’t even understand what she was saying, but seeing her cry so hard made me want to sob.  I never saw her cry before this occasion.

Honestly there was so much crying at the opening- that was one of the most surprising parts of it all.  It was a love-fest.  It was a cry-fest.  My husband cried that week more times than I could count.  I cry even on a good day- my emotions are always pretty close to the surface and I am definitely a highly sensitive person.

But everyone else joining in?  I didn’t expect that.  That my mother-in-law was so touched and emotional about her painting and the whole show meant so much to me.  I could cry again just thinking about it as I write this.  When I look back on it now, many people didn’t have words to describe how they were feeling- I didn’t either.  I still don’t!  Crying seemed to say it all.

This is the power and reach of gratitude- it breaks through any barriers and gets right to the heart.  Nothing but love.

Photo by Andrew Bartholomew

Photo by Andrew Bartholomew

Since I finished this project I believe so much more in the power of love and gratitude.

Some of the greatest gifts I have ever received have come from that show.  The effects will stay with me forever.  I know that there was an incredibly positive energy at the exhibit where all 100 paintings hung together, that was created from the very best part of me. We could all feel it as soon as the paintings were hung before anyone who received a painting even walked into the room.

Love.