I have an aunt I don't get to see very often, but she's good about sending cards and letters (better than I am) to keep in touch. She's lived a fascinating life. She used to be a city council member of a city in Arkansas. She ran for mayor when she lived in a fairly large city in Florida. And she's am amazing artist.
Over the years, she has painted or drawn a number of pictures for my mom and mom has them prominently displayed all over her house. Mom got a letter from her the other day and my aunt told my mom to ask me what what sort of landscape I would like for Christmas because she plans to create a picture for me as a gift. I was so excited. I chose a pond or a stream, surrounded by trees, with mountains in the background. It's only February and I'm already looking forward to receiving it.
Art has been one of the things in my aunt's life that has pulled her through heartache. Her husband died about 15 years ago and they had been together since they were quite young. I don't think either one of them could ever imagine being with anybody else. My aunt has never gotten remarried. Instead, she's helped her children with their children. She's active in her community. And like I said, she has her art--which I think is so cool.
She continues to practice it and not only does she practice it, but she's using it to bring joy to others. I hope I'm doing the same thing with my writing in twenty or thirty years.
