Stemming the Tide? or Riding the Wave?

StemmingTideLowRes

The above drawing illustrates how I’m experiencing my days lately. The reasons for this are many and varied, not the least of which is just trying to get back up to speed with normal everyday living in the aftermath of major surgery. Life as a pastor’s wife, a mother of three incredibly talented musical kids, and my own enjoyable work as an artist and knit & crochet teacher makes for a lot of variety, but also a very full plate. Oldest daughter is a junior in college, middle son will be graduating from high school in three months and then going off to college, while youngest daughter is in middle school. There are times I’m not sure I’m even stemming the tide, but rather staring blankly at the wall of water coming at me, looming on the horizon. I keep reaching for my knitting needles and my sketchbook. Perhaps they are a life raft, or an anchor, offering some stability in the onslaught of living.

RidingWaveLowRes

This (above) is probably a more realistic view of my life right now. Drawing in my sketchbook, knitting as I go, actually allows me to ride the wave of life without drowning. Sure, I may be holding the sketchbook up above the water as it encroaches up my shoulders, but still…these are the things I can hang onto as wave after wave of “Life” hits. Reframing how my life “looks” is helpful, if not crucial, to enduring the current days. Drawing affords us the ability to re-draw, re-make what our feelings may be screaming at us, and allows us to see the bigger picture, rather than succumb to the momentary drama. Knitting reminds us that it is in the stitch by stitch of everyday living that something beautiful is made. I came across this quote by Vincent Van Gogh on a knitting pattern I recently purchased!! How cool is that?

“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.”

Vincent Van Gogh

I’ll keep on riding the wave, surfboarding on my sketchbook, and paddling with my knitting needles and hook. Might not get me very far, but will assuredly keep me afloat. That’s all I need.:)

0 thoughts on “Stemming the Tide? or Riding the Wave?

  1. freebirdsings says:

    My son loves to surf. He finds it always to be quite a challenge that is always changing and his challenge is to adapt to each wave, each day and according to how he is feeling at the time. You sure can’t stop the waves so you might as well ride them. You might lose your footing once in a while and get tumbled pretty roughly in the turbulence but people are buoyant and you’ll rise up – just hold your breath and hold on to ride another!

    I picture my life differently. I feel like I am more in the eye of the storm where all is still and sometimes boring or stagnant feeling with everyone’s busy lives, my classes I sign up for and don’t get to, my husband’s scheduling of every single thing we do and family things I can’t take part in all swirling around faster and faster gaining speed at times and slowing at times but all that chaos threatens to swamp the quiet center. Sometimes I like it to and others I need the retreat of the center. I hold my paintbrush as my sword of protection and my sketchbook as my shield to make sense of the chaos I feel around me. Hmmm, I’m making my safe little spot into a dramatic scene here aren’t I? : )

    I still am wondering about your cow paintings that used to be on etsy. I think I saw one framed in the gallery you use (via a photo you posted of said gallery). Have they both sold? How much do they go for now that they are in the gallery? I can’t remember now, but I think the purple was my favorite.

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