Category Archives: Renewed Spirit

You Are Your Own Divine Providence

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Don’t Even Say the Word Cuz Then You Make It a Reality

When a loved one has cancer.

You start thinking about lots of things.

Like why it takes weeks and weeks for procedures – and for medical staff to get back to you with results. And then when they do get back to you the cancer has gotten worse since its first discovery. You think about “beating it” – about how zillions of dollars has been poured into research and still, there is cancer among us. And no real answers about how to beat it. “Every case is different.”

You think about not telling anyone, otherwise you make it a reality. Hell, don’t even say the word out loud because then you give it some sort of power. If you keep it under wraps to some degree, then you almost believe it’ll just disappear like a bad report card.

You think about that feeling that’s constantly emanating from you –  fear. Real fear. You try to push away the gnawing dread in your solar plexus. You try to act happy at others’ parties or get-togethers, yet front-of-mind-awareness of your loved one’s condition has made a pretty sizable presence. Continue reading “You Are Your Own Divine Providence” »

Prima Dona Botticelli by Terese Newman, Palisado.com

Tiny Gods in all the Right Places

Blog Posts, Renewed Spirit

The Thrill is Gone After Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride Through France

In 1987 I traveled throughout France, Monaco, Belgium and Amsterdam with a group of college art school students. I saw lots of art. Lots. Of. Art. The first couple of weeks was an inspirational ecstasy for my artistic soul. Starting in the south of France, we drove mostly northbound in a barely air-conditioned bus. Later, the drain of popping in and out of the bus, along with being crammed in there with oversexed, sweaty, whiny twenty-something-year-olds, left me dismayed and exhausted. With each cathedral or museum stop I was losing the glow of excitement. By the gazillionth stop just before Paris, I almost didn’t get off the bus. AS IF I had seen enough Van Goghs, Monets, Raphaels, Michelangos, DaVincis, (insert famous artist name here) and religious works of art in various cathedrals. Somewhere along the route I lost the connection to thrill and discovery. Color, balance, composition, Jesus, baby Jesus, Mother Mary, crucifixion, battles, saints…  Shouldn’t I have some sort of emotional reaction? Am I that travel weary?

Continue reading “Tiny Gods in all the Right Places” »