Grace Realized

“Grace Realized” is a collage I made for my Aunt Dorothy (my mother’s only sister) for her 80^th birthday in 2005. She loved it! :-) Unfortunately, she passed away just six short months later in September. The family held on to the collage for my uncle, as the piece was hanging in their (and then his) room at the nursing home where she had spent her last days. Unfortunately #2, my Uncle Merlin passed away just this past week and the funeral was yesterday.

Is it vain of me to admit that I was proud to see the collage displayed along with other photos and keepsakes from his life? Much as it had been for my aunt’s funeral… Afterwards my cousin told me that they wanted me to take the collage home. But to my thinking, I had made it for my aunt, and wanted it to stay with the family. I wanted my cousin to either keep it, or give it one of their girls.

But then, she told me that it was Dorothy's wish that the picture be returned to me She wanted me to have it. Okay, so now what? I really didn’t know what to do, and told my cousin as much…

I ended up bringing the picture home. We will honor Dorothy's wish, and I will keep it, for now. It is in my dining room right now, and whenever I see it, I smile, and think of my aunt, and how much I loved her. It gives me a feeling of peace. Though some day, I may still re-gift the collage back to the family.

The collage is a 12x12 canvas with homemade background papers, along with bits and pieces of other art papers, inked around the edges to give it depth. The photos are my aunt and uncle on their wedding day; the two little girls are my aunt (on the left) and my mother. There is a “key to my heart” dangling from a mini-hanger in the bottom corner. I had had trouble with placement of the larger items until I consulted with my fellow Altered Art Divas, who had helpful suggestions, and which culminated in the finished result. And the poem, for which there was no other when choosing one befitting my aunt, reads:

Grace Realized

Every single moment of our lives,

Whether borne of joy or pain,

Has the potential for grace realized.

Whether it’s an opportunity to learn something;

Or an unexpected connection made;

Or finding love where you thought none existed;

Those are the gifts from God!