Its a 'Gift to Live'

I often think about new life this time of year. After the storms of winter, the world softens and life begins again. A repeated process that brings so much joy to so many of us. It seems like people talk about living as if it is something that always has to be grand. You're not truly living until...fill in the blank. On a relaxing vacation, people tend to say, 'This is living'. But these sayings and ideas give us the false idea that if we are doing anything that might be mundane or less than thrilling, we must be doing the opposite of living. We must be boring, stuck, or lacking depth. In essence, we must be dying.

​This is far from the truth. Despite what you feel living is for you I think that when we can learn to enjoy a simple life with all its highs and lows and everything in-between, that is actually living your best life. Chances are your true highlights or happiest moments make up about 25% of your life. The opposite is probably true about our low moments. What does that say about the rest then? What about the other 50% of your existence? This is why finding meaning in our everyday tasks is actually what living looks like.

For me, living my best life right now includes more snuggles, reading stories, changing diapers, and cleaning many other messes along the way. There is more living happening than art making. But I've slowly been realizing that creating a life that I love is the best kind of art I could ever make. It will not be something seen or praised by the masses, it will hardly be noticed by anyone at all. But I don't want to miss it. Art is about creating beautiful things. A family is a beautiful thing. I don't want to miss the giggles, the chubby toddler hands full of dimples, the sweet songs sung off key, or the messy faces and sticky fingers. It's all part of life.

It is a 'Gift to Live'.