Hand in hand: Mandalas-through the valley

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Mandalas-through the valley

I have been living at home to help care for my mother. I have been here since Father's day. Mom was put on hospice either late spring or early summer.

Basically my mother is dying. She is declining before our eyes. Her cancer is killing her. My family has gathered around her and my dad at this time to help care for mom. My sister and her husband and baby moved in so that Krista could help care for mom. Adam has also been living her, at my parents, and he has also helped care for mom. Dad is also one of her caregivers. I am also one of her caregivers.

When I was first here I had left all of my art supplies at my rental. So I went out and invested in a drawing pad and sharpie markers. I started drawing detailed designs. As they evolved and changed they became more mandala like. Mandala's are spiritual circles, originally from the hindu/buddist faiths. I am not hindu/buddist and I am not drawing them to lead toward any sort of meditative place. But I love the detail, the color, the symmetry.

I am a spiritual person. I did research on "sacred cirlces" in different religions. Circles are spitiyusl expressions in many different religions/cultures. Maybe my spirit man is working out the journey, organizing and bringing some sense of semblence to the dark valley I have been walking through.

Mandala is a word that people know. It expresses the circlular design of my pieces and touches on the spiritual side of my journey.

May you enjoy these circles of creativity that come from my heart and from my journey through the hardest season of my life add some beauty to your day today. God brings beauty, great beauty through the fires of suffering.