Today is day seventy and everything is not always about the past. I am concurrently doing two projects at the moment. My daily painting of which now I am more than two thirds done and I am doing a two week project with Slow Fashion Style with
Katrina Rodabaugh and we have a group for this class on facebook that is closed but she is talking about it on her blog. This is a huge amount of fun and I find that I want to chat with everyone only that's probably not possible. I feel like i'm immersed in like minded people, most are women. Then this morning in my usual touring of the web and bloggersphere I found this..by
Amy Meissner. She warned people about her story so of course I was more intrigued but then I read the whole post and even watched the video at the end and that just tipped it over the edge for me. What an incredible video and such a smart woman that Amy is. To write so eloquently about a subject that we just don't really ever talk about is brave and fantastic really. One thing that she touched on that resonated with me regarding another project that I have talked about but that is more behind the scenes then I would like it too be and that is
Josephine's work at Child in Uganda. She had mentioned that some of the girls will not go to school for the same reasons in Amy's post and also due to no female bathrooms and also not having the funds to go to school. I wish that I could snap my fingers and give her all that she needs for her work there and to help the children grow up and have an opportunity to live a long and happy life. And Amy's post made me realize how I missed out on my own daughter's coming imto womanhood and I hope she won't be embarrassed that I posted about this .. i really just wanted to publicly acknowledge that I missed out on a big big wonderful part of who she is .. a wonderfully beautiful and talented woman. And while this portrait isn't her it is like her in so many ways .. those big beautiful dark eyes and thick eyebrows only her hair is not dark but a beautiful curly auburn red. I wanted to also say that I love her my daughter so much and wish hope and happiness for her with all my heart .. there is a heart on this portrait. She is on my heart. The words love and mercy are written there on a calligraphy practice page by my own mother .. it is part of a bible verse she wrote .. I have your back my beautiful daughter even when I can't do all that you need.. I root for you.. I am hoping for you and .. i pray for you. I want to go to the ends of the earth for you. ..
Today's post is trying to be brave like Amy .. and speak truth from my heart. If you would like to have this portrait, please email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. It is painted on a reclaimed file divider with a page of calligraphy text written on my my mother and some pattern tissues. I am using all these items that my mother saved for a long long time and instead of discarding everything I am using them as a canvas to paint portraits of people and animals and tell stories about Africa and everything else. Thanks for stopping over and I'll see you tomorrow.
Tammy, I am moved by your writing and moved by your artwork as well. Thank you so much for your kind words about my work and for sharing the bravery of your journey with your daughter here. I wish you all the best, Amy.
ReplyDeleteThank you Amy for coming over to see my art and read my post .. i wish you all the best as well Amy.
DeleteWhat an incredible story - both yours, and what Amy wrote as well. My mother taught me that the female rite of passage was something to be proud of, to be excited about, and so I was. My best friend had been told nothing about the advent of menses and came to me in tears, fully believing that she was dying. Her mother didn't believe in the use of 'modern' things like pads or tampons and my friend was simply given folded up rags, which obviously were not adequate. My mother and I ended up providing the education (and the supplies) that should have come from her own mother.
ReplyDeleteI think my mother was appropriate and said something like . oohhh now your a woman .. and that's about it and I think got me some supplies. But I was much older .. like sixteen when it started and then well I had to come home from school once a month after that.. writhing in pain. THank GOd for menapause. haha ..
DeleteGetting to stay home from school at those times of the month was simply not an option in my household. I was provided with a bottle of 222's (the available over the counter pain remedy of the time) and sent off. There was no question of asking to stay home. As a consequence I only missed two days of school (ever) and those were only because I had managed to catch chicken pox over the Easter holidays and the spots weren't healed enough for me to be allowed back in school. If I ever thought I would get the flu or a bad cold, it had better be on the weekend...and oddly enough, I obliged.
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