This page arose out of somebody telling me that I inspired them. I was incredulous at first, I feel like I do so very little, but later began to feel awed and grateful. As a full-time priest it was almost never given to me to know when or if I'd made a difference, but we often justify ourselves through our busy-ness. In my present limited life where I can DO very little, I often feel more like a taker than a giver.
I do
try to do what I can, however little that is, and I began to see that that is enough, and not to feel guilty because I cannot do more. The realities of my life mean that it will have to be enough, but nonetheless it helped me remember that what I
can give - which is time and a listening ear - is of real value.
The background is yellow but looks greeny in some lights ... and as you can see below the light was very different when I began work to when I was finishing the page. The grey collage I laid on top of the paint looks blue below, but that was in artificial light.
The following morning (in full daylight) I added some more collage pieces - the word Inspire was the prompt for the whole page. As you can see I've just added random text and textures, and I've also added a grey shadow around each piece, using a marker.
The picture of Frieda Kahlo found its place because she is one of my heroines - she lived in terrible pain from spinal injuries sustained in a car accident, and yet managed to be an icon for many women through her painting.
The words below are simply making a record of what I'd learned through this particular encounter - that doing what you can is actually enough. Very often I forget that.
Its astonishing how much peace this has brought me - I suppose I've felt guilty for a long time that I couldn't do more, forgetting that sometimes presence and quietness can be a contribution in itself.
Love
Rosie X
PS Lest I sound pious and self-satisfied ... you only have to look at my other pages to know how often I kick against my limitations, and hate the days when pain makes me cranky and horrible. Peace is hard to come by and all the more valuable because of that.
