Being an Artist

I was making breakfast for my family this morning and pondering the state of things.  I have been struggling with school the last week or so.  While things are improving, I’d like to pinpoint the cause in case I could avoid the problem in the future.

I don’t know how much is my attitude, or my hormones, and how much is just the natural adjustment that takes place at the beginning of anything new, and how much is the attitude of my kids.   I am sure all play their part.  We aren’t quite in the perfect storm, but things aren’t as good as they could be.

I continued making breakfast and I remembered the oatmeal my grandma used to make for me on cold rainy mornings like this one.  Gosh, I appreciate her so much now.  I think I appreciated her then, but I also have enough memories of her complaining I didn’t to know that I at least didn’t express it well enough. 

So, here I am, feeling unappreciated by my kids thinking about my grandma who felt unappreciated and it hits me: being a mom is like being an artist.  The true approval and comprehension come only after the artist is dead.  Hopefully we can do better for our own mothers than this, but I feel this analogy holds some water, don’t you?

Artistry and raising children are not hard sciences.  You have to go with your gut, take a few steps in the wrong direction before you know it is wrong.  You have to make mistakes and get dirty.  You have to spend money you don’t have, because it costs more than it makes to live this life.  It takes time and vision to do a good job.  A little faith goes a long way, too!  We could even talk about the relationship an artist has with his art and compare it to the words of our own hands.  Oh!  And there is public opinion!!  Being different garners all sorts of disapproval from the outside, doesn’t it?  Only after all is said and done will someone following the path he thinks is right be celebrated.

And only when your works are out there on their own does the fruit of your labor get any recognition. hmmm…

Have you thanked your artist today?