30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day 7

"A Constellation of Stories" - mixed media on canson art board, 16" x 20".  Available on Artfinder.

Inigo: You seem a decent fellow. I hate to kill you.
Dread Pirate Roberts: You seem a decent fellow. I hate to die.
          from The Princess Bride​

This interchange between Inigo and Westley simply cracks me up.  Such politeness in the midst of a duel, with a hint of dry humor.  Thank goodness they took the time to chat, else one would have killed the other and we wouldn't have our happy ending.

I swear I'm in the midst of an intergalactic episode of "Punked".  The universe keeps playing with me.  Don't misunderstand - these are delightful happenings!  But I keep looking over my shoulder to see who is pulling the strings around here.

Yesterday morning began as an art meeting, but ended up as a sweet sharing of stories.  It turned out many of our tales were similar, and the web of interconnectedness began weaving its silvery threads all around us in a cosmic thunder coat.    

Mark Nepo joined in on the topic yesterday, with a chapter on personal mythology and stories: "​under all our troubles, we each have a constellation of personal, foundational stories that we can rely on to remind us of what matters."  He further describes this constellation as something we can use to navigate our way through life, like ancient mariners on the high seas. 

And here is the magic (again, Nepo): "​once lived, our stories become seminal.  Once told, they serve as candles in the dark.  The myths we live and tell reveal the most enduring truth of all: that who we are is more than enough."  Whoa.  And that is exactly what happened yesterday - the sharing of stories, even tough stories, ended up providing a light and a lightness of being from shared experiences.  And that truth - that we are enough - was evident.

It isn't always easy to contemplate our stories, let alone share them with others.  But there is a beautiful gift at the end of that sharing.  And dear reader, I owe YOU a debt of gratitude!  You have graciously joined me in this blog space, post after post, listening to my stories.  Do you know how much that means to me?   Even in cyberspace, a constellation shines brightly.