Sunday, October 07, 2018

Sticking Your Neck Out


A few weeks ago I painted a turtle while exploring some of the fears and challenges that I am facing in my life. It was therapeutic, and helpful as I pondered the various triggers that can cause someone to want to just hide “inside the shell” or face the challenge head on.
Today, I returned to the turtle theme for a friend that I have at work.  A few weeks ago he found out that his wife has stage 3 breast cancer.  Without a doubt, they have been faced with the very real choice that comes with all the uncertainty of such a diagnosis.  Do they hide?  Do they run?  Do they revert to what is familiar? Or, do they move forward, trusting in the love that they have for each other and the growth that will happen during the journey?
I painted this little one for them, another reminder that we can put our necks out of the comfortable shell, we can trust that even thought the future looks uncertain and scary, that there will be growth as we move forward, even if slowly.