Transitioning from life as a couple to being solo is hard work. Reinventing ourselves requires a lot of courage. But there can be some wonderful surprises along the way. If we are open, then just maybe, it is possible, that the life that lies ahead could be even better than the one we left behind. Certainly, joy, peace, and satisfaction are attainable. Beyond that, who knows? I have learned to allow room in my life for impossible things and to dream big.

 

Every day I walk into my studio, my sanctuary. If the weather is warm, I leave the door open. I let in the sun energy and the sound of water moving in the courtyard fountain. If it is cold, I light a fire in the wood stove to take off the chill and to feel the non-verbal companionship of the crackling wood.

 

My alone time in my studio, is also my recharge. Through immersion in my work, I discover my gifts, my talents, myself. I am blossoming in this new chapter of life. In alone time I continue to heal from trauma, loss, and abandonment. I have grown and am thankful for the grieving process. I value my experiences, my memories, my love. I wrap these around my heart as I move forward. As a result, my work has new depth, emotion, and engagement for the reader or viewer.

​

Flowers that are passed their prime are still beautiful. Shriveled, faded, dead, but still beautiful. To me they have a ‘new life,’ one full of texture, soft colors, and depth. The cover of my book, The Wind Blows and the Flowers Dance, is a painting of peonies long past their ‘peak.’ You wouldn’t know this, though, unless you looked carefully, because they are so striking. 

​