Ebb and Flow
“Summer Breeze” - 16 x 20
It was one year ago today that my lovely children Valarie, Matt, Mandi, and now son-in-law, Stephen, made a collaborative effort and orchestrated an experience and memory of a lifetime for me. After twenty years, I was returned to my beloved beach.
I guess the idea occurred to Stephen when he was interviewing me for the documentary he is creating. I have painted a number of beach scenes and he asked me why that was. I told him about the beach being a place of serenity for me; just physically, emotionally, and spiritually therapeutic. I love the feel of the shifting sands beneath my feet, the
rhythmic sound of the waves on the beach, the gentle but powerful touch of the waves against my skin, the sounds of the calls of the cute shorebirds and the sight of them as they were darting back and forth or flying overhead, the feel of the warm sun on my shoulders, the breeze rustling through my hair, and watching the ever-changing dynamics of nature’s paint brush of clouds in the sky. It was all so peaceful and uplifting. Now, I can revisit it all as I complete my paintings.
He continued by asking when was the last time I had been to the beach. I got pretty choked up as I replied, “Twenty years.” We had rented a beach house and gone down to Galveston in February of 1999 during Mardi Gras. Then in April I became paralyzed…and had never returned.
I guess that got some gears turning in his head because the next thing I know, Stephen informed me that I had an art exhibit at Affair de’Art Gallery in Galveston on Saturday, November 9, 2019. I think I responded, “But …”.
Even though me traveling anywhere is a tremendous and costly endeavor, he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. It was an incredibly daunting task for every single person involved. Let me tell you what happened:
He located and reserved an accessible beach house.
I made extra arrangements for my caregiver to accompany us for the weekend.
I rented a wheelchair accessible van - because the one we had last year was an unreliable dinosaur.
The guys broke down, packed, and assembled my heavy, hydraulic hospital bed not once, not twice, but a total of three times, including carrying it up and down the steep ramp at the beach house. Bless all of them for their hard work!
Valarie managed the wrapping, packing and preparing the didactics for each one of my paintings. She also organized and curated the positioning of the paintings to hang at the gallery.
Stephen located and rented a balloon-tired beach wheelchair so I could go right out on the sand . . . and I did. Twice.
My heart and soul were full of yearning and anticipation as they first rolled me out onto the sand. Twenty long years. My first impression of actually being on the beach again was just all-encompassing and Valarie asked me if it was everything I remembered. I said, “No . . .it’s so much more. Before, yes, I loved it all, but I took for granted that it would always be right there and that I would frequently return. Now . . . all the sights and sounds and sensations are amplified and feel larger than life. The details are more vivid and seem in a clearer focus.” Every single ebb and flow of each wave as it interacted with the shore was so treasured and etched in my heart. It was a bit overwhelming and I might have got choked up again.
After Valarie had us all organized at the gallery and Matt and Stephen had the paintings hung up for the exhibit, we took a little break to look around the Strand in Galveston. When we came back for the opening, I didn’t understand why Valarie took me around to the alley to get out. I found out why when we walked into the gallery and my oldest daughter, Mandi, and my granddaughter, Kaywen, came walking out from behind some exhibits! They had flown in special to be there! Such sneaks! What a surprise!
My heart is so full of gratitude for all the hard work it took to make this momentous event and trip come to fruition. It was emotionally and physically intensive. It’s hard to believe it’s been a year. Love to you all!
