Hope and Love
My desire is that stopping by this page will fill your heart with a little more hope. Here you will see artwork and stories that display a pursuit of love and hope. The buttons will link you to full stories.
Raindrops on Orchids
Do you ever feel like life piles so much on, that you end up feeling heavy and dirty from the trials you face, the mistakes you’ve made and/or the injuries you bear from the pain inflicted by others? I sure do. It can be hard to bear and hard to get rid of. It feels the same to me as going to bed dirty after a long, hard, hot day of work.
I hate going to bed dirty. If I’m covered in dirt from gardening or paint after working, or if it’s been a hot sticky day, I just need to feel clean and fresh to be able to rest well.
You may not have this kind of weather, but let me tell you about what it’s like in our part of Hawaii...
Sweet Fragrance
Have you ever walked down a lane or in a garden when plumeria’s are blooming? The sun warms the flowers, and the fragrance fills the air. Even if you can’t see the tree or flowers, the makani (wind) fills the air with a sweetness that’s hard to describe but lasts in your memory forever.
Sometimes, the simplest act of kindness can have an impact and “sweeten the air” for someone far beyond what you could imagine.
When I was 8 years old, in the midst of deep fear, a nurse showed me kindness that impacted me so deeply, I can still see her face. I doubt she had any idea how much her actions would still touch me over 50 years later.
Reborn
Is there anything that illustrates transformation better than a butterfly?
Butterflies have intrigued me since I was a little girl. I loved their colors and graceful beauty combined with their agile quick movements. I would spend hours trying to catch them… carefully sneaking up and cupping my hands over them so as not to hurt them. Then I would slowly open my hands to see if I had been successful.
Even today, I am intrigued with butterflies. When I discovered two big fat green Asian Swallowtail caterpillars munching away on our brand new lemon tree...
Maku'u Point
I live on the youngest of the Hawaii Islands. We have multiple live volcano’s including one that erupted nearby in 2018. That may sound daunting, but to be honest, I find it touches my heart to stand on some of the most recently created land in the world.
I love the lava fields, whether it’s near Kileaua, or in Kalapana, or even the older cliffs near my home. They tell me stories of destruction leading to new life. They make me feel close to The Creator who is continuing to form and design this gorgeous island.
This painting is of a very beloved spot I go to regularly, with very special meaning to me...
Ocean's Calling
Does the ocean call to you? It calls to me.
It draws me out to look upon the awesomeness of its power. It calls me to dip my toes in, letting the waves cover my feet with sand. It invites me to swim in its deep waters allowing it to lift me up in the arms of its waves. In every way, the ocean represents Ke Akua to me and the grace he shows me… and shows you.
Ever since I was a young girl, as soon as I got to the beach, I was drawn like a magnet towards the ocean, my eyes holding fast to the powerful, unending waves. They scared me, and yet enthralled me.
When I was a teenager, I spent a week learning to surf…
Lift Up Your Eyes
In any kind of hurt - loss, illness, depression, isolation… what do people tend to do? We look for a way out, or we search for ways to reduce the pain.
What is your main way of dealing? My natural first instinct is to find an escape route. In Elementary school, when a yelling, ruler-slapping substitute teacher made the toughest boy in the class cry, I ran away from school at lunch time and walked home.
And to this day… when things are hard and painful, my first thought is “How can I get out of this?”
Hawaiian Heart
Have you ever asked yourself, “Does anybody really love me?” “What’s the point in all of this?” “Can I even keep going?”
A little girl sat in the middle of a big field. She began picking the tiny daisies growing in the grass all around her. Pulling the petals off one by one she played “He loves me, he loves me not.” She didn’t know who “he” was, but sometimes he loved her, sometimes he didn’t.
Boxes of Encouragement
As you may know, I have struggled for 20+ years with some difficult health issues. There was a time that I became housebound, and so isolated, that I often wondered if people “in my old life” even remembered me. Of course they did. I knew that. But I could go long periods without hearing from anyone.
It’s difficult to watch a loved one suffer. And it’s difficult to remember they are home struggling when life goes on at a normal pace for you. And it’s difficult to know what to say to someone who is grieving or dealing with long term illness.
Occasionally, I would get a text or a card, or someone would leave flowers on my doorstep, or bring us a meal they had made for us, which were all meaningful.
Then one day, I received a different kind of gift...
Marie's Bouquet
When I painted this watercolor, I had one person in mind the whole time. It was my daughter Marie, thus “Marie’s Bouquet”. She and her husband have often brought me orchids on special days or just to say “I love you!”
What flower do you think best defines love? Yes, we often think of roses (and I DO love roses), but let me propose that orchids may be an even better representation of love. When you think of love, what are you hoping for?
For me, four things leap to mind:
Ocean Play
Watching spinner dolphins frolic and play brings such a big smile to my face! I long to transform myself and become one of them, jumping and spinning and landing with a splash. I expected the story I would write for this painting would be about experiencing joy because they are such fun, joyful animals to watch, but they also remind me of something else...
