The aerial beaches started on one of the harder days of my life, having suffered from a long-standing illness. I was on vacation on the Cape and was in terrible pain, so disappointed in my reality. I really wanted to paint on the beach so I did it anyway! To me, these beaches are now a symbol of the promise I made to myself that day. To heal, to get well. Your story today does not need to be your story tomorrow.
That day in the Summer of 2016 I made a promise to myself to get well no matter what. I was in so much pelvic pain I could hardly walk on the beach. I spent most of the vacation sitting still and wishing it wasn’t so. Recently, I realized I can’t even remember the last time I had pelvic pain. I haven’t healed enough to return to a beach in a normal manner but I am so so close. That is worth celebrating today!
These 12 beaches remind me of that promise and how far I’ve come. I’ve never shared this story before. I often struggle with what to share and when…I am a very open, honest person but it doesn’t feel right to share the struggle in the middle. Glennon Doyle made me understand why…
“Make sure you’re sharing from your scars, not your open wounds…When we truth-tell widely in real time, it’s alarming to people because it can feel more like a cry for help than an act of service. You have to be still with your pain before you can offer it up and use it to serve and connect with people you don’t know.” – Glennon Doyle
Amen. It is my hope these paintings bring you back to the texture of the sand, the warmth of the sun, and the sound of the waves on your favorite day at the the beach. Will you join me in celebrating today?
