Category: Art

Seasons, Reasons, and Lifetimes

Someone reminded me recently of the saying, “people come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime”. Certainly, this was not my first time hearing these words. But somehow, I think it might have been the first time I heard them.

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you figure out which one it is, you will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty; to provide you with guidance and support; to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

— Author Unknown

I’d always considered this sentiment in the past-tense, with an implicit hierarchy of value, and as a means to excuse, justify, or minimize the loss of relationships that had run their course. I characterized relationships in the ‘reasons’ and ‘seasons’ categories as, in some way, less than. Less real. Less meaningful. Less truthful. Less legitimate. Less wanted. Less worthy.

What if I’ve had it all wrong? What if reasons, seasons, and lifetimes all have value? What if they are all real, and meaningful, and truthful, and legitimate, and all the things I’ve been telling myself they are not? What then?

(Spoiler alert, I have had it all wrong! 100%)

If relationships that last a lifetime are the only ones that matter, here is the million dollar question… How do you know which relationship might land in which category? How do you ever begin to build anything real with anyone? More to the point, why would you bother? It’s too risky.

Some people are going to pass briefly through your world, and sometimes you are going wish they’d been there longer. Others will offer you lessons, some wanted and others you didn’t know you needed at the time. A few will walk beside you through this life, ride or die. And all of that is ok.

You can’t know for sure, and you can’t protect yourself from the inevitable messiness that comes with sharing yourself; not without closing yourself off from all of the good stuff too. And that is too high a price.

Dive in, eyes wide open, knowing that “people come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime”, and choose to accept that each is valuable, real and worth experiencing. Embrace vulnerability, fear and the inevitable mess; it’s the only path to the magic and beauty.

An Ode to #cohortstrong

I’ve just spent a magical two weeks learning in residence with some of the most amazing people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. The kindness, sincerity, courage, and brilliance of whom have both humbled and inspired me.

We have challenged and supported each other through an intense time of self-discovery, learning and growth. We have laughed together, cried together, rumbled with one another and found healing in each other. We have emerged as a community; individually, each of us stronger and more resilient; collectively, unstoppable.

As I leave this first residency behind me, and return to the complexity of life, I do not do it alone. I have the wind of 39 beautiful souls at my back, and the shine of an entire community to light my way.

#cohortstrong, thank you for the privilege of sharing this journey with you.

What’s Old is New

There is something I adore about the juxtaposition of vintage pieces and a modern aesthetic. I’ve long admired those who succeed at seamlessly blending pieces that have seen a thing or two, with those fresh out of the box. As I play with my own version of this vibe, I chronicle bits and pieces here.

The recent acquisition of my grandparents 1950’s era maple dining table served as the inspiration for my latest project.

How does one blend a traditional, mid-century maple dining table into a modern home?

I knew three things when I started. First, the table would remain as is. A few years ago, I welcomed the coordinating hutch into our home, so messing with one meant messing with the other, and I was not about to open that can of worms. Second, I wanted a mix of metal, fabric and wood in whatever configuration of chairs I ended up with. That should be easy to find right? A metal-fabric-wood chair? Third, one of those chairs would be my Nana’s antique Queen Anne side chair, which was lacking purpose in an upstairs spare room.

I began where all great projects begin. The internet. A quick search for “old table modern chairs”, and my mind was blown. It doesn’t have to be one chair? Surely a dining set must match. No? It doesn’t even have to be one style? I can mix all the things I like together and have it still look cohesive? This began an eight week long artistic experiment that became my quest for chairs.

The next question was “What colour?”. Matching the colour of stain in the table would have proven impossible, and seemed a bad idea anyway. Had I chosen to try, I think I’d have lost the modern, bohemian feel that I’d decided to work toward.  Do I intorduce light colours? Dark? Should the chairs be patterned or plain? What colours even coordinate well with medium brown maple? I am not going to lie, I became a little consumed by this decision. I mean, chairs are not cheap.

In the end, and with the continued aid of Google, I settled on a colour mixture of silver toned metals, grey fabrics and white woods. Enter the chairs…

The Mid-Century Modern Inspired, Upholstered Parsons

gXMmpdNdTVad3VCSuyI8Ew.jpg

The Iridescent Steel 1970’s-1980’s Inspired Spindle Back

5eVCJg+hTVydgvlhk8C6gQ

The Antiques

Both of the chairs in this category where refinished (by moi) in flat white paint. They were re-upholstered in tone on tone silver brocade and finished with dark grey braided cord accents.

  1. The Cameo Chair

2. The Queen Anne Chair

Three very different styles of chair, when paired with the dining table of my childhood and a few modern industrial accents, bring new life to a dining space that has long been lacking a style of its own.

(Pardon the dogs behind. He always knows just when to show up…)