Being Remains

have a dear friend who endured some tough stuff lately. Imagine losing your ability to do just about everything, and remaining in that state for close to a year. You cannot see well enough to read, or even make phone calls. You can’t work at a computer, both because of the sight issue and the fact that the flickering makes the almost constant migraines worse. Trying to move around produces debilitating vertigo.

She is a fellow artist, so it is natural that I would express my concern for her through art. Did she experience fear, anger, frustration? Of course, but when I asked her if she could identify any positive aspects about her circumstances, she didn’t hesitate: “I’ve always been such an active person. This offered me the opportunity to just be, to learn how to rest in being.”

My friend was not just quoting wise sayings about the virtues of being versus doing, she was undergoing a time in her life where she could not help but experience being without doing. I was profoundly moved by her choice to welcome this state, instead of letting herself plummet into a mindset of bitterness and despair.

The piece I made for her cannot begin to express my gratitude for the grace she modeled for me. This artwork was produced with cloth, paper, paint, thread and love. Especially love.

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