Only Love Matters.
Autumn Leaves
are the most beautiful
right before they fall to the ground
and die.
Did you ever notice that
about people?
Some of the most beautiful moments
are experienced
when someone knows
their time left is short.
Things they once thought important
seems insignificant.
Only love matters.
Why can’t we live like this
all of our days?
Embrace that beauty within.
Let it shine.
Share it with others,
and see their beauty.
Only love matters.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Flowering Crabapple Tree, Mars, PA – Spring 2018
All of the Sudden.
You wait.
You wonder.
You anticipate.
And then
one day
you blink.
And all of the sudden
the beauty and joy and delight
appears.
All of the sudden.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
In the Darkness.
Sometimes
the most
beautiful,
wonderful,
exciting
things
show up
in
the
darkness.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Projecting Beauty – 18×24 Acrylic Abstract on stretched canvas
Every baby is born beautiful.
It is what we project on them
that makes them ugly.
-Ruth in Small Great Things
Sharing this quote today from the book I’m reading that I mentioned yesterday –Small Great Things By Jodi Picoult.
The quote is spoken by a labor and delivery nurse, Ruth, talking about the most beautiful baby she has ever seen born. The baby was born with severe birth defects that led to him not having a face. A small mouth with one tooth was in the place of where an ear should have been and the face was just a mass of skin. A student nurse screamed upon seeing him. Ruth shared how she would never forget the transformation that occurred as a result of the love the mother, and eventually the father, projected onto this sweet baby for the short time they were blessed with his presence on earth. The love in their eyes saw his beauty. The love they projected on this baby made him beautiful.
This really spoke to me. Of course there is the old adage that beauty is only skin deep, but isn’t it so true? I have known people who were absolutely flawlessly attractive in physical appearance, but had such ugly hearts and souls that it blinded the beauty. I also know people that aren’t necessarily physically attractive, but beauty just shines from them. The beauty that is deep within their being. It just consumes the space that surrounds them. And when you look at them, all you see is that beauty.
As parents (and grandparents), we have the power to project this beauty on our children. We have the responsibility to teach them they are beautiful – not because of the color of their hair or skin or the shape of their bodies or the unique intricacies of their personal appearances… They are beautiful because they are loved for just exactly who they are.
Let us love our children by projecting beauty on them. Let us teach our children to project beauty.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
This painting is quite a diversion from my usual watercolor art. I worked on it for a few days as a special housewarming gift for my oldest son and daughter-in-law, who just moved into their new home. This abstract acrylic was inspired by the beautiful work of Osnad Tzadok. I did it using a palette knife, paper towels, a spray bottle of water, and a brush for a few strokes. All paint by Golden. I may just want to stretch and try some more of this type of work.
I’m calling this painting “Projecting Beauty.”
Ceilng Light, Omni William Penn, Pittsburgh, PA
When I look into your eyes,
I see your heart…
and that is where
the beauty is.
It’s deep in your soul.
It’s past the superficial.
When I look into your eyes
nothing else matters.
I wonder what you see
when you look into mine.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Goldfinch in the Rain – Autumn, Mars, PA
Let the Rain Fall.
I watched you as you sat proud and beautiful
while the rain fell on and around you.
You didn’t need
the sun to make you shine.
In fact,
you stood out even brighter in the cloudy drizzle.
And I was reminded
true beauty comes from within.
It can’t be soaked or drenched
or washed off.
It can’t be dampened or doused
by the storms of life.
Let the rain fall.
Let the storms crash.
And continue to shine
your authentic beautiful self.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Autumn Reflections Watercolor 11×14 140 lb Cold Press
Autumn Reflections.
Looking back….
I wonder why
it took me
so long
to realize
the beauty
of Autumn’s
brilliant transformation.
Looking forward…
I appreciate the journey
that got me
to this place
where I embrace
the inspiration
of Autumn
reflections.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
To Notice the Last Glow of Light.
To feel the softness,
and experience the gentle breeze,
to notice the last glow of light shining through…
Even amidst the things that choked you,
the experiences that broke you,
the storms that turned your world upside down…
These are the blessings of life,
that give us the strength,
and give us grace…
To be courageous,
and brave,
to persevere and to grow….
Into the confident beauty
we were meant to be
and share with the world.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Flames of crimson, pomegranate, and persimmon,
ambered gold, chartreuse, and mossy greens
struggle to compete with the saturated sapphire sky
marbled with softly suspended cottony clouds.
The intensity of the beauty surrounding me
almost overwhelms my senses.
My eyes and my mind try to absorb it all
as if snapping photos in a continuous burst mode
trying to find a special place to store them
to remember on a dark, dreary day
when my heart can’t remember the bright warmth
or the splendorous display of Autumn’s kaleidoscope of color.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Sunrise on Forsythe – Mars, PA – 5/8/17
Even if no one bothers to look…
The sunrise, of course, doesn’t care if we watch it or not.
It will keep on being beautiful,
even if no one bothers to look at it.
Yesterday morning I was on the road very early
and couldn’t resist driving down one of my favorite roads in our little community.
It was a cold, but sunny morning
with a nip in the air and frost on the grass.
As the warmth of the sun shone,
the steam and fog rose from the ice crystal-kissed earth and cold creeks and ponds.
I drove home slowly on my way back from my early morning run,
sipping my steaming coffee, but drinking in the beginning of a new day.
I wish I took time to notice it more often….
It’s there – just waiting for me to enjoy its beauty.
And with or without me –
that sunrise just keeps on being beautiful!
It made me think a bit too…
About being beautiful.
No – not Hollywood beauty…
not Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition beauty.
But about being a beautiful person –
in my heart and in my thoughts and in my character and in my actions.
And I want to make an effort to be a beautiful person…
even if no one bothers to look.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Gene Amole also wrote a book I just bought on Amazon called “The Last Chapter.” I look forward to reading it and will share my thoughts.
the creative life in between 