Anticipation

In German, we have a saying that roughly translates to “you eat everything half as hot as you cook it”, meaning that often we imagine a situation or an issue worse than it actually turns out to be. Spending too much time worrying about the outcome of things robs us of the journey it takes to get to that outcome. And even if the outcome is not what we imagined, we can often find those silver linings along the way and even at the end of the journey. My level 2 certification class is fast approaching. I have not had the time to practice as I had envisioned and planned. Life simply got in the way….but on that journey, I got to see old friends, make some new ones. I got to help make our new granddaughters room beautiful, and I got to be there for my daughter in law’s baby shower. I got to see my youngest son’s first tennis tournament and be there to console him when he didn’t win. I would not have missed any of these experiences for the world. In the end, they are all that matters. Painting is a very large and important part of my life. But it is those moments of love, mutual support, and happy anticipation that provide the head space and inner peace that take a painting from “meh” to “oh wow!”.