allison.s nest...

everyone has a story.

a very interesting chapter in my storybook began over two years ago 

when i read kelly rae roberts book..."taking flight"

{i wrote about it here}

basically i had stuffed all my creative hoopla deep down inside me 

and it was starting to rebel.

it raised it.s claws and showed it.s teeth...hissing as it went.

oh, i heard it all right.  but i was afraid to confront it.  

afraid of what?  i don.t know.  

i.m a chicken i guess.  i was fearful.  doubtful.  

who am i to pick up a paintbrush again?

who am i to take extra time to myself to create?

who am i to think others may be interested in my art?

gratefully for me i have a friend.

you know one of those

 "every girl needs a friend exactly like you "

 kind of friends.

i confided in her and got questions like...

who are you not to pick up a paintbrush again?

who are you not to take extra time to yourself to create?

ummmm...{silence on my part.}

so knowing me as well as she does, she knew i would need 

an assignment to tame those wild creative beasts within my heart.

allison:     "well, my birthday is just around the corner 

and the only thing i want from you is a painting of a nest."

me:     "i don.t paint nests."

allison:     "well you better get started!"

i tell ya what...i painted A LOT of nests those next few months.

A LOT of nests.  none of them were good enough in my eyes for allison.

finally i thought i just might have it.    a nest.  

a nest with real turquoise cabachon eggs. one for each of allison.s little chicks.  

{she is a jewelry designer so i thought the turquoise was ever so clever}

then i sat this little egg filled nest upon my shelf and picked it apart.
brush stroke by brush stroke by brush stroke.
allison.s birthday came and went.  i probably gave her something lame.
14 months went by since i first started painting little brown nest.
and the longer she sat on that ledge, the more she grew on me.
i started to realize that just like life...nests aren.t perfect.
they are perfectly imperfect.  and if we hold our talents back until we think they are perfect, then we will never share them with others.
what part of journey did i misunderstand?  a wonderful man i adore once said...
"enjoy the journey"


i bet you can guess what allison got for her birthday this year!


cul*ti*vate the journey

...here. yes. park.

i.ve been thinking about friendship.
about what kind of friend i am.
do i listen more than i speak?
do i reach out before i am touched?
do i accept imperfections
as i would want my imperfections accepted?
am i being the kind of friend i would want in my life?
am i present?
do the people i love know that my heart is always open for service?
24 hours a day.  7 days a week.  365 days of the year?
even if we are miles apart?
or we.ve never met in person?
or we haven.t spoken in years?

does my heart speak...

here.
yes.
park.
?

friendships need to be cul*ti*vated.  it.s a verb.
what do you do to be a good friend?