Monday, April 21, 2014

Life Begins Again


Flowers grow out of dark moments.
-Corita Kent   

 Every spring as I plant my seeds, I hesitate. Is it too cold? Too wet? Will there be enough sun and enough warmth to coax these dead-looking pieces to life? And somehow, always, the hard seeds respond, and life begins again.

Life begins again.

I spent my 35th birthday at a painting class, swirling watercolors around thick paper and trying to make it look like a sunflower. But not just any sunflower. I wanted the sunflower to look like me- a little bent, a little weepy- but still glowing and open and alive. A broken hallelujah kind of a flower. After the class was over, I drove home in the pouring rain and thought about my own broken hallelujah kind of life. What's done is done. I cannot change a single decision or dime or day. Parts of my heart bolted and went to seed- Freeman House, the bakery, traveling, some relationships, some dreams- but as they died they left me with seeds. Seeds to plant. Seeds to prove that life begins again.

And so it has. I went to the store and bought my own small set of watercolor paints and brushes. Why? Because we live in a world created by the Second Chance God, where death begets life and endings are just beginnings and broken hallelujahs are sometimes more beautiful than the perfect ones.

Life begins again. Let this be my painting to the world.  

Hello again. -Brin

18 comments:

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

I like your painting!

Belated birthday greetings ~ FlowerLady

Tammy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Tammy said...

Well goody gumdrops and hallelujah-- you are back!!

Karen Deborah said...

I love your painting! I want to take an art class too good for you to get it done! I am so glad you are happy now!

Mrs. Paul said...

So glad to see you back to sharing on your blog. I am blessed by your writing and I love your sunflowers especially done in watercolor.
Blessings sent from Arizona,
Dorothy

Betty said...

'Flowers grow out of dark moments'..I like that quote. And your sunflower paintings look really good, Brin.I hope you frame them.

Linda Z said...

So glad to see you blogging again... and a very pretty new look, too. Such beautiful thoughts these are... so go with lovely water colors. :)

Mary E.Dadds said...

I like your sunflower painting.I really do.And have been waiting for you to get back on your Blog to tell us how great you are doing.So glad your happy.

Patricia @ 9th and Denver said...

I went to one of these painting classes. I must say, your flower looks way better than my Rooster!
Mine looked like a Kellogs Ad gone wrong!
Anyway-- I like the pictures you paint with WORDS!
Nice to see you posting.
Pat

shoegirl said...

BRINNN!!!! So glad you are back (it was my tweet that did it, wasn't it? :-P) You have been missed. And I love the blog redesign; looks beautiful. Welcome back!

Kristie @ Comfy Cozy said...

Hello again! So, so glad you are back.

Rebecca said...

I'm glad you're back. I've missed your writing. :)

Rebecca said...

Oh...and your painting is beautiful too!

Brin said...

Wow. Thank y'all so much. Your words mean the world to me. I'm glad to be back with you. Thank you, thank you...

xoxoxo,
Brin

jAne said...

you've been missed.
i was gone for a while too. some things are simply necessary.

love your painting.
have considered giving an attempt but i can't draw a stick figure to save my life. wink.

Cindy said...

So Happy You Are Back!

Sue said...

Hello again! So glad I went browsing to see if you are on again! Wonderful post!

Anonymous said...

your back!