Today being New Year’s Day, I took time off to reflect on another year gone. Some days I struggle with the monotony of routine tasks, essential to the well being of my family and myself. I often feel I have missed my mark on a given day and have not achieved anywhere near as much as I would have liked. I feel like small things such as pushing my little people on swings, after school pancakes, hanging washing, lunch time “sleep walks”, dinner preparation and a myriad of other tasks, eat at my “quality” time.
Then I come to the end of a year and the beginning of another, and in the span of a year I can see that I have actually achieved so much.
If I measured my time in hugs, bedtime stories, duck feeding, handmade Mother’s Day/Christmas/birthday, presents/cards/letters, (all things i love), if I measured my time in conversations about the world from the views of 15/13/3/1 year olds and the pleasure of watching these lives grow, I would more often be satisfied and content about the way my days have been spent.
Instead of sitting down at night, when the house is quiet, totally relishing my time alone to paint, what if I was listless and lonely and rather than cherishing the process of solitude what if I craved company?
So my revelation today has been that all the giving and serving and loving is only feeding my creativity, making me nourished, complete and content. The love of my family and husband is the perfect antidote to the destruction of ego and sadness of selfishness.
I promise myself, this year, to not measure my days by other peoples standards of success, to continue the daily fine balance that is mothering, loving, painting and to do it all the more joyfully, with less angst and more patience. To remember that every day makes up a year and every year a lifetime and nothing is guaranteed to be ours forever!
Thanks to everyone who has supported me this year, whether it be with kind comments, friendship, encouragement or a visit to my shop. I am a people person and being a mother and an artist can sometimes be quiet in the wrong kind of way. The Internet has given me so many opportunities for meaningful connections and I have met some amazing people this past year (you know who you are).
Happy 2013 to everyone, I hope you will stay with me a little longer and keep me company on our mutual journey called life!
Jasmine x
Ps here are some fav 2012 moments…
