I hadn’t really planned to write about the penguins. No, they appeared into this week as a prompt or idea to paint, and I thought I would give it a try.
As I’ve shared before, I belong to this group online where we encourage one another to paint. The prompts are a great way to stretch the imagination and learn new techniques. Tuesday’s prompt was penguin.
I painted three penguins and was not pleased. A waste of paper! But they kept calling me, and I painted a couple more. Did some tweaking. They reminded me of a dysfunctional family. And then they made me laugh. They were growing on me, this motley crew.
Penguin family
There are times my drawings emerge into something I had not expected, they have a life of their own. In my pondering I wonder what I am learning. It becomes more about life and relationships and seeing things, than splashes of colour and imagery.
One of the biggest lessons I keep learning is to love myself as I am, imperfect, with flaws, but someone that was created with love. I need to stop all comparisons. And then to bloom where I am planted.
I am part of a family, also imperfect. We are blessed and challenged at the same time. We are family.
And families come in all shapes and sizes. With different personalities and perspectives. There are the outgoing vivacious ones, and the contemplative introverts. There are the leaders, sometimes bossy, and the people pleasers. There are the caregivers and those who are dependent.
There is profound peace when we accept the body and personality we are given, with all it’s beauty, flaws, strengths and weaknesses. There is contentment when we accept the life we are given, the family we are born into, the place and time where we live our time in history.
Not that there isn’t room for self improvement. I can always work on that! As I pick up my paint brush or pencil day after day, or live the life I’ve been given with gratefulness, there’s always things to learn.
My painting exercise brought me to a place of awareness We live with imperfection and endless possibilities. For this I give thanks!
”Let my life not be wasted trying to live another’s life.” -gw
I’m reminded of the Serenity Prayer:
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.
Amen.
