Several of my relatives and friends passed away recently. Their obituaries attempt to capture the highlights of their lives and legacies. Being around those whose love for them is all too present, is when I truly feel the essence of their lives.
This has me thinking more deeply about quality of life and living in a way that honors our dreams and things we are passionate about, leaving no room for regrets at the end of our earthly time.
My late mother filled her life with so much love and positivity she had no room for little else. She didn’t “bury her head in the sand.” If there was a difficult situation that required her attention, she acted with enormous strength and tenacity. But for most of the hours in her days, she flat refused to entertain negative energy. She was the queen of “letting go.”
A young friend a few years ago expressed to me her distress that her mother-in-law would start cleaning her house when she came to visit. Especially the refrigerator! While my friend admitted there was plenty of moldy food that needed to go, her MIL’s insistence made her feel inadequate and that she was a “bad wife.” She’d tried to get her husband to handle the situation but to no avail. She asked me what she could do as it was really stressing her out. The first thing that came to my mind and advice I gave was, “Let her.” My friend smiled big for the first time since she told me about it and you could see the relief in her face as she decided in that moment she could let go of trying to control that situation. From then on she didn’t dread her MIL’s visits so much and instead enjoyed her nice clean home after she left.
Meet a few people here in this issue who focused on positivity and their passions — their legacies continue today to inspire us to live and love fully.
I hope you’ll take a look at the State of Texas Arts Report below and share this vital information that drives home the economic and other significant benefits the arts provide to our quality of life. I’ve seen children and adults alike get in touch with their life’s passions by focusing on creativity. In the words of one wise teacher by the name of Kelly Pollock, “The true purpose of arts education is not necessarily to create more professional dancers or artists. It’s to create more complete human beings who are critical thinkers, who have curious minds, who can lead productive lives.”
Enjoy Mardi Gras and other celebrations, check out the Paris Texas shoes made in Italy, and go visit the amazing daffodil gardens that Helen Lee planted many years ago that still delights thousands of visitors each year. Find good ways to fill your days here in this issue and in the online County Line Magazine.
