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subject: Perennially Cheerful [print this page]

No one can guess the future, and it seems that it

is always right out of the blue that we may be

brought up short, and something gets our total

attention, something important. It may even be

said that we meet up with our, sometimes long

term, sometimes short term, destinies.

This spring I had a set back, but many others

have had much more severe set backs. I needed a

knee replacement. I did not see it at the time as a

gift. As a busy individual, and a working visual

artist I fought the frustration of slowing down, of

not being able to be and do all the things I have

always done. Today, after having had the surgery,

I realize with gratitude that it was not life-

threatening, and that for now, I could concentrate

on getting better on a day by day basis. I am so

fortunate.

So, not being able to travel far this summer, I

concentrated on the perennials I planted over the

last ten years, and had not really had time to study and enjoy them. I found time to cut and

bring them into the house and put them into

vases extending their beauty into my everyday

surroundings. And then, last week, I was finally

able to get out the paints and brushes and do

watercolour sketches. These Black Eyed Susans

line the pathway to my recovery: from a flower

bed of them close to the house, to the vase on the

dining room table to their beauty at the tip of my

brush loaded with golden sunshine.

When we successfully overcome an obstacle in our

lives and go on to become well again, we become

stronger and engage a more personal resilience

than we have ever possessed before. We realize

that we can do so much more with our lives, do so

much for others. It becomes almost a rallying cry,

a call to action. Let the time we have discovered

to be so precious be used to create, to build on

our skills, to do good for others.

When sorrow is heavy, when things are not as

could be wished, think of the Black Eyed Susan

and may its perennially cheerful sunny disposition

be the connection that provides the strength to

carry on.

For more information on Valerie, please see her

blog at: http://valeriekent.fineartstudioonline.com/blog

Perennially Cheerful

By: Valerie Kent

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