Difficulties Are Also Opportunities

COVID - In The Beginning

​We all want to avoid as many difficulties as we possibly can!  As the world has seen this past month – there are hard things that just can’t be avoided. 
 
When I began my journey of being “sheltered in,” I wasn’t in much of a mood to be painting.  Uncertainty and fear had gone viral (yikes – bad pun???)  I had just returned from an out of state trip that was fabulous but I had jet lag and was grumpy.  Then the reality and seriousness started settling in and I knew I had a decision to make.
 
I knew I had to make a choice because COVID-19 isn’t the first crisis in my life.  In fact, there’ve been many difficulties in my life, perhaps the biggest was being born with a brain tumor.  As difficult as that tumor has made my life, I have benefited from it probably more than any other one thing I can think of. 
 
I wouldn’t have the same compassion, inner strength, grit and enthusiasm for life if I hadn’t faced my own mortality and physical challenges at such a young age. I learned that I didn’t have a whole lot of control over life but I could decide to focus on things that are beautiful, grow in grace and faith, and recognize how important the people I love are to me.
 
The pandemic is nearly over.  But I choose the good I can take away from this experience: like more faith, hope, love, appreciation for what I have and maybe an extra pack of TP in the closet. 
 
So that’s the short story version of my “COVID Shelter In” painting.  It started out to be another beautiful flower I love painting.  It turned into an emotional project for me to process my fears and grumpiness. 
 
Then I remembered how beautiful the other side of a difficulty can become.  

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