Using Her Gift

My mother is an artist. She never thought of herself that way, but she is. When we were kids, she found outlets for her creative energy in poems for friends and parties, sketches on place cards, acting in community theatre. She was busy with lots of other activities, but the creativity was always there, showing itself in numerous ways.

After her kids were all out of the house and Dad was retired, Mom got serious about oil painting. She took classes and spent many hours creating beautiful scenes. She sold a few, gave one every year to her favorite charity’s auction, and hung them around her house.

I’ve got eight of her masterpieces now and I look at them every day. They enrich my life, partly because they are hers, but equally because they are beautiful and inspiring.

In recent years, following Dad’s death, Mom has moved from their condo in the retirement community to an independent living apartment, to an assisted living apartment and now to a single room with 24-hour nursing care just steps away. Her short-term memory isn’t always great; sometimes better than others. But her long-term memory is intact and she is never confused about where she is or who she’s with.

My brothers do a great job staying on top of Mom’s needs and I appreciate them more than I can say.

Recently, Mom’s never-failing optimism has dimmed a bit and I discovered that she was no longer going to her painting class. A quick note to Erika, her companion who comes in several days each week fixed that.

Erika is a blessing. She makes sure Mom goes down the hall to the player piano to join in song-fests, chatting with friends in the corridors along the way. They go on outings together, including recently to a play at Erika’s kids’ school. Mom loves it all. Being engaged with life keeps her a very young 94.

Mom is back in front of the canvas now, using the gift that God gave her. Erika recently reported that “Sometimes she’ll need a little nap in the middle of a session, but then she pops right back into her work with fresh eyes.”

Each of us has such a gift. We’re not all artists, but we’re meant to find what we’re good at, what makes our soul sing, and then to use that gift to make the world a little brighter.

I’m very grateful that Mom found hers.

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