Caged Bird

Caged Bird – poem on mixed media

Childhood is a very important time in a person’s life. Those who raise children can either make or break them. If broken during these fragile, formative years, the outcome can be drastic. It can take a whole lifetime to heal, and oftentimes there are wounds that scar until death.

In an article by Livestrong.com, Heather Weiss said, “Nurturing relationships in a family are critical for the healthy development of a child. If a child feels safe, secure, and loved in their family, it helps with the formation of their self-esteem and well-being. It can also lead to a child who is more socially competent and has better communication skills than a child who does not feel these family connections.”

Any thoughts? Do you agree?

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I wrote this poem a while ago. I had originally created a mixed media piece to go with it, but wanted to change it. This is the new version.

Painting a Work of Art

I will hold you in my arms
In my mind
In my heart

I will paint with vivid colors
Through my life
A work of art

Do you think of your life as a work of art? I know I’ve touched on this before in the area of poetry, but I would like to touch on this now in the form of art in general. Yes, I believe that our lives are like poems. Some are sad. Some are intense. Some are flowery. Some are light. Some are dark. I like to think of mine as a plethora of experiences – emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual. Holistic in a sense.

Albert Einstein said, “Only a life lived for others is a life worth living.” Wow. What do you think of that? I think it’s a pretty darn powerful statement. It seems so counter-culture for our modern times, where personal peace, affluence and the quest of ‘being happy’ and collecting things for personal gain seem to be high on humanity’s priority list.

These two cuties above are my children. I wrote this little poem (if you’d like to call it that) about them. Western culture seems to demean a woman staying home with her children, and not being realized professionally, as something bad. As a waste of life. As if she’s making herself and her life less than what it could be. I don’t see it that way. I see it as a life fulfilled. A life with far less stress and rushing about. A life of more tranquility, peace and fulfillment in what I invest in.

Yes, I think Albert Einstein just may have been right. After all, he was considered an amazing genius.

What are you investing your life in? Are you painting a picture of vivid colors? How are you doing so? Do you believe that a woman is ‘throwing her life away’ by staying with her children and investing in their good? Do you think she is a woman that is unfulfilled in life?