The Form We Have Been Given
We have heard the phrase, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. In yoga class Jessica will often say to us as we are holding a really tough pose, "What if this was the form life gave you? Could you breathe through it?" I whine when my form is just the slightest bit uncomfortable most days. Tonight, I met a man who has been in a wheelchair for over forty years. His wife led me out to the art studio where he paints. When she turned on the light, my eyes fell on countless paintings...mountains, cowboys, jazz singers and Native American medicine men. Then my eyes rested on an easel, which was not like any easel I had ever seen. With a little lever, you could move it up, down and side to side and the paintbrushes next to it had handles and could bend. There was space enough in front of it to fit a wheelchair. Tears filled my eyes. I was deeply humbled by the resilience of the human spirit. In his form, David rises to the occasion of life. He paints oil paintings that should be hanging in a galleries all over this country.
David and Mary put my lemons into perspective. This couple lights up this little corner of the world; shining like a star in the middle of the Arizona desert. More people need to know about the work of this man. Please check it out here: www.vangorderartaz.com/index.html and pass it on to your friends. If you are an art agent, or know of one, let me know. His work needs to be out there in bigger ways. It reminds us all to rise to the occasion of who we are, no matter what form we are given.
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