". . . a brush with nature"

“If every year is a marble, how many marbles do you have left? How many sunrises, how many opportunities to rise to the full stature of your being?” - Joy Page

I read this quote some time ago and it really struck a cord with me. It made me think about how short life is; how we never really know if we have another year, another month, another day or in fact, another moment to experience everything we want to in life.

Not only does this quote speak about striving to achieve goals throughout your life, but I also feel like it talks about being the best human being you can be. For me, I need to work towards all those goals daily. Of course, the goals you set to grow in your chosen profession are sort of self explanatory, but the goals to be a good human are thought provoking. I started out with what should be some simple ideas for us as people.

I wondered if I say “I love you” nearly often enough to those I cherish.  Or if I even express thanks often enough for the gestures that made my life easier or put a smile on my face. Of course, the answer is there can never be too many expressions of these sentiments. I can always do better at showing how I feel . . . because I may not get the chance again tomorrow.

I can also make a much better effort to help others experience joy in their daily life. A small simple gesture of my own -a door held open, a compliment to a stranger, a friendly phone call, etc. - all can do wonders to uplift spirits and brighten someone’s day. It only takes a moment, requires so little effort and is something I don’t want to put off until tomorrow. . . because I will never know if I will have another opportunity.

And while I am working at becoming a better, kinder and more thoughtful person I also want to work towards those other goals I mentioned briefly at the start of this. I want to become a much better artist, as well. Each painting I work on offers an opportunity to learn and a chance to improve my skills and grow as a professional artist. It isn’t a competition with anyone else, but rather a challenge to myself to stretch my wings, strengthen my knowledge and take something away from each piece, whether a successful painting or not, that I can carry forward with me into the future. 

I don’t know how many marbles are in the jar in my painting, nor how many I had in the actual jar as I worked on creating this piece. 

I don’t know how many “marbles” I have left in my lifetime . . .
but I do know I want to keep trying to be the best person I can be. I am working at it every day.