There is a sunrise and a sunset every day and you can choose to be there for it. You can put yourself in the way of beauty. –Bobbi Lambrecht (Cheryl Strayed’s mom)
It was the first Christmas ornament that I hung this year, and when I took the tree down, I didn’t put it away. My friend, A, surprise-bought it for me at the Providence Moms Blog holiday shopping event. Our eyes landed on it at the same time, and we laughed and shared a moment of recognition. Little gifts must be one of my love languages, because I get very touched when someone surprises me with something that says, I get you.
A and I go back to when our girls were in first grade together. For as long as I’ve known her, she has had a large print of Hokusai Katsushika’s “The Great Wave” on her wall. I always saw it when I went to her apartment–and later the house where she now lives–and until recently, I never told her how mesmerizing it was to me, and how it came to mean a lot of things that the artist may or may not have intended.
It’s a visual representation of what so much of life is–tumultuous, dangerous, cold, rough, impossible, and still beautiful–and with Mt. Fuji in the background, as if the little boat’s passengers are keeping it in focus and striving toward it, even as they try to survive the waves. This ornament reminded us both of the painting, and it is a reminder to me of resilience and of putting oneself in the way of beauty and of keeping your eye on the prize. Or maybe I’m reading into it too much, and it’s just a pretty ornament with a coastal theme.
But I don’t think so.
A knows how to put herself (and her children) in the way of beauty. She transcended stress, and with the limited budget that most of us grapple with, she made it happen for her twin girls, now in college–and now, with her six-year-old son. She planted seeds that sprouted and grew and are now flourishing.
THIS IS HOW SHE DOES IT:
- She prioritizes. While I was schlepping my kids to soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis, and more soccer…she was at drama and ballet and art classes, taking in so much of the stuff that I’m now kicking myself for not doing more. She still finds time to take her son to these things (although he is also taking her in the direction of soccer, bwahahaaa).
- She makes theater not a special occasion, but a regular activity. And when one twin showed that she was mad for theater, all the more. They saw every play in Trinity Repertory Theater’s calendar. They volunteer ushered (free admission!) and attended the Pay What You Can performances of every show (first Thursday performance of each show, cash only). She changed her JOB schedule to accommodate rehearsals when her daughter was in A Christmas Carol.
- She “became friends with her calendar.” With so much going on during the summer, it’s easy, she says, to get overwhelmed by the choices. But with a little bit of planning, she and her children have experienced so many (free!) performances of storytelling, Shakespeare plays, and opera in the city’s parks, via the Providence Parks Conservancy (I can tell you firsthand that she hit them all, but Burnside Park/Kennedy Plaza has really become a destination for great stuff in recent years).
- She balances planning with spontaneity, knowing that just showing up at events like PVD Fest and Pronk Fest meant that they would see, hear, and experience something amazing.
- She knows that the Providence Community Libraries are a GOLD MINE of quality programming for kids and families. Beyond the weekly story hours (as great as they are), the libraries host the annual RI Black Storytellers Funda Fest, Free Family Learning Sundays, and too many other experiences to list. Check them out here.
- She recognizes RISD as the beyond-valuable local resource that it is, and her children view the museum as a second home. Between Third Thursdays (5-9pm, third Thursday of the month, free admission to the museum), Tours for Tots, and Free Sundays (Free admission for all, but wait–there’s more! On alternating Sundays, there is an Open Studio or a Family See & Sketch activity)–kids and families can take in the art, learn a few things, and get their self-expression on.
Getting his art on with Dad and Sister. - She doesn’t make assumptions about affordability. At every turn, she saw children who received some form of financial assistance from our city’s many organizations that truly want to be inclusive and will often find a way. If your child has a passion that they want to explore, just ask–assistance, sometimes in exchange for volunteer hours, is more common than we think.
A is the Valedictorian of Resourcefulness. She made the arts such an integral part of her children’s lives that they can’t help but be influenced by the thousands of experiences that they have had. And they’re also inspired daily by their mom (I know I am!).
Now, go forth and put yourself in the way of beauty!
