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"Flock Together" - watercolor and gesso on paper, 15" x 22".  Ready to frame.  Available here and at Artfinder.

​Happy Monday, dear reader!  We are having a deluge here in south Florida, as the rainy season commences and the greenery overtakes everything.  Our mango and avocado trees are heavy with fruit hanging nearly to the ground, like some oddly edible Christmas trees.  But rainy days are also quite conducive to painting, mending, organizing and thinking.  My brain feels heavy with ideas.

A deep dive back in to Mark Nepo's The One Life We're Given and a chapter on talent.  I couldn't imagine what spin Nepo might have on this topic, but he had me oooooohing and aaaaahhhhhing from the first page.  When you were quite young, sweetest of readers, was your talent seeing the moon?  Picking the best color from the crayon box?  Knowing which jelly was best?  Finding cloud animals?  Or maybe knowing when grown-ups were angry, or when your sister needed a hug?  Nepo had me teary again when he wrote "We're so focused on our talents of doing that we often ignore our talents of being."  That's right, your talent and mine begins with just being.  

We knew this as youngsters - we felt glorious and gifted merely by existing!  Until the world told us we had to be more.  Nepo assures us ​"our quest for purpose begins with knowing our natural gifts. Then our life's work becomes the inevitable journey of becoming what we already are."  
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I spent Mother's Day looking at some very old photos...fifty plus years ago.  At the age of four, hanging on to my dad's chin was a serious purpose.  What was I already at that age?  Determined, tenacious and headstrong.  I wish I could remember more - there is surely wisdom in that younger me.

Nepo throws down this one sentence - "This is one purpose of the soul: to reach and bring things close."  Not just safe things, not only pleasant things, just things.  The girl in today's painting brings the bird close.  They examine each other intently.  Maybe seeking sweetness, maybe just seeking.  Reaching, bringing each other close.  Just being.
I'd love to know what your childhood talents were...there is treasure to be had in those memories!  Leave a comment below.  One lucky commenter's name will be drawn at random and will receive a sweet treasure in the mail from me.  Thank you for being!
20 Comments
Dotty Seiter - 8 years ago
1. Jen, two childhood talents: finding the most peanuts at birthday party peanut hunts, and jumping rope lightning fast!

2. This morning, grateful to be reminded of the 'talent' of being, which reminder has now come to me twice already since waking:

a. through you and Nepo
b. through my noticing a paperweight I made years ago with friends, a quietly solid and beautiful rock on which I inscribed the 6-word poem "oh oh oh, being not doing."

3. Have you read Lyanda Lynn Haupt's "Mozart's Starling"?

4. "Flock Together" >>> : )
jen - 8 years ago
Dotty! Birthday party peanut hunts? Why have I never done this? Fast jumping rope is a massive talent. :) Thank you for the book recommendation - never heard of it, just ordered it. YAY! You have a talent for recommending books, sweet friend.

Thanks so much for commenting - your name is in the drawing hat!
Mary W. Cox - 8 years ago
Childhood talents? Oh, I made things up--stories and characters for stories (including, of course, scary creatures and "mean boys"), and I drew pictures, and sang songs (and sometimes made up songs) and at a very early age had a sense that these were talents other people enjoyed and admired, stuff I could do that was givable. I introduced myself to the world (at age 3 or 4)--"My name's Mary--what's yours?" Somewhere past that age I got shy, and didn't really get back to recovering the gift of connecting till I was in late middle-age. How amazing that we go on discovering who we are!
jen - 8 years ago
oh gosh - I can just see you introducing yourself unabashedly! What a rare talent in a youngster. And of COURSE you made up stories and created art. Songs, too? Whoa! And today you write, sing, and need no introduction. :) You are very good at being just who you are.

Thanks for commenting - your name is in the drawing hat!
Trina Tarlton - 8 years ago
My childhood talent was imaginary adventures! Either with my sisters or neighborhood friends I would lead us on adventures!
If you flipped your big wheel upside and sat on the hump we could go to a land where we worked making the most elaborate desserts! (Go figure). Lol
We would sit on saddles that were on saddle racks and gallop fast and hard! We were usually saving someone who needed us. Dinosaurs and dragons existed!
We would walk/run the backpath (a path behind our houses that led to the river and frog pond) and try to catch Polly-wogs that had magical powers. We would come home covered in mud and soaking but a we had a great time! No animals were ever hurt or caught! 🐸
We didn't have outside toys other then some sort of bike. We had to pretend and play. Sticks were always swords, boys were always the enemy, and running as fast as you humanly possibly could always led to fits of giggles!
jen - 8 years ago
No WONDER you take people on creative adventures by leading massive group classes now! I was pre-big wheel but am impressed by your way of seeing things differently. You and Mary have a common theme with the "mean boys"! I have a little halcyon glow about me just reading of your make-believe adventures. I wish more kids today had exactly that experience! Now I am contemplating magical pollywogs...

Thanks for commenting - your name is in the drawing hat!
Mary W. Cox - 8 years ago
Exactly, Tina--"pretend and play!" My brother and I had a long-running game in which I was "Mother" to all my dolls, and he was, of course, their uncle--but those were just the basic characters. We also incorporated characters from whatever movies we'd seen or books I was reading (my brother, being younger, hadn't read as many books), or just characters we made up. There was extreme violence, which I did not much like--cowboys, and war, with imaginary weapons and (I had to admit) some very dramatic death scenes, and wounded heroes staggering to their feet to save the day. Sometimes my brother would say, "Play like there's a tornado that blows away the whole house!" or "Play like the bad guys blew up the town!" and I would scream, "No! No!" And he'd say, "That's ok--we'll call the Minute Carpenters, and they'll build everything back just like it was in ONE MINUTE!" Our sister, being MUCH younger, didn't get in on as much of this. Our parents never confessed to us till we were grown that the reason we didn't get a TV till I was in 5th grade was that Daddy was afraid it would keep us from having so much fun making up our games. There's a lot to be said for going out in vacant lots and along creeks, getting muddy and exploring the world.
jen - 8 years ago
Oh my! I need a minute carpenter! Brilliant! How smart was your dad to safeguard your imaginary play? Vacant lots and creeks...we need more of that even as adults!!!
Jill Lefkowitz - 8 years ago
Hi Jen! My talents seemed to be playing sports really well ( I realized this because my brothers friends wanted me to play with them..stickball, stoop ball, football, etc) my brother is 2 yrs older then me so it was a huge deal that they asked my brother to bring me with him to play. I used up crayons & chalk as quickly as I could because I couldn’t wait to get a brand new box (especially the crayons because I was always hoping for a new color!). When we played house I was always the father because I wanted to go to work everyday! I remember telling the other members of my pretend house hold good bye, I’ll see you later after work..lol.
I was the peace keeper in my family.I listened to any fight going on & I would immediately interfere & always put my two cents in by explaining who was right & who was wrong! I was judge, jury and lawyer.
I constantly colored and drew anything and everything. My dad took us to museums and always took the time to explain what we were seeing. We always had art books..so I would copy a painting or a drawing until I felt satisfied that I copied it pretty well. We jumped rope in our neighborhood & we all
Mastered double-Dutch. I had a talent for inventing new games & making sure everything was fair for everyone. Whew! Great blog!
jen - 8 years ago
WOWEE! You were a multi-talented kid! Fearless! I love the playing dad to go to work...no gender restrictions for you! And a skilled debater of law and logic even as a kiddo. :) No surprise about the art given where you are today. What a wonderful experience to have museum art explained! You have a vast repertoire of talents to draw from, dear lady!!!

Thank you for sharing - your name is in the drawing hat!
Trina Tarlton - 8 years ago
Oh a favorite I forgot- we really did do the can telephone!!! Two empty cans and a string strung between them. My cousin next door would hold his head out his upstairs bedroom and I would hang out my upstairs bedroom. Of course way after we were suppose to be asleep! It really does work! OMG what a fun memory I had completely forgotten! You're the best! 🌺
jen - 8 years ago
NO WAY! It actually works? Awwww geez now I want to go try it!!!
Carolyn - 8 years ago
Wow, sitting here thinking about my childhood and "who" was I? Hmmm, now that is a lot to comtemplate, because I was all over the place! Being the "oldest" girl, I got saddled with lots of the household duties because, after all, I was the the "girl", duh! But I remember gathering eggs with my grandfather when I visited, They owned a store and lived upstairs and it was always exciting to visit with them. They didn't have an indoor toilet when I was real young and I took a bath in a large tub outside, and yes, even used the outhouse! Running and playing until after dark catching lightening bugs in a mason jar, playing with Barbie dolls with my friend Paula who had the coolest Barbie "stuff", playing house and I was must have been somewhat bossy in that role, because I always played the momma. I must not have had a great aversion for boys, because I married Sammy Craven on the playground in the first grade! Visiting my great grandmother and swinging from the hayloft in a soft pile of hay, that was scary! And I loved to draw and doodle - mostly women and girls, and they always had "big hair" - which I understand is a returning style these days. Oh, just reminiscing here, all kinds of thoughts and wonderful memories are flying through my mind.... I could go on for days. Maybe it is time to write some of these things down in a journal for my children and grandchildren to read.
jen - 8 years ago
Carolyn!!!! Catching fireflies is a massive skill! And getting married in first grade...you were creating connections even then. :) Your early childhood mothering was great practice for how you "mother" all of us (including your wonderful extended family) today! You are loving but firm, encouraging and sweet. You should ABSOLUTELY create a record of these memories! What a gift that would be to all the future generations, most of which will have no idea what it was like to have no indoor plumbing! ha ha!

Thanks so much for your comments - your name is in the drawing hat!
Carol Edan - 8 years ago
Oh how I wish I could remember more about my childhood. One thing that does stand out was that I was quite the "tomboy" could climb trees and eat green apples. From an insert in my little camp memory book from one of the counselors. I was the world's worst eater, loved paper dolls. Had a talent of getting into trouble, what kind, wish I knew!
Love that crow.. they are the smartest! Have to read that chapter again.!.
jen - 8 years ago
Tomboy Carol! Tree climbing is a major skill! I am curious...are you a "good" eater today? Getting into trouble is great practice for getting out of it later (a much needed adulting skill!)

Thank you...this crow makes me smile. :)

And your name is in the drawing hat!
Susan McClellan - 8 years ago
Oh...I so remember playing Barbie's with my neighbor best friend Judy...she would play with the dolls....she had Barbie...I had Midge...she would take the dolls on adventures...I would be busy building the house....Kleenex boxes....cans anything would be used in the making of the modern house.....my friend Judy had one of those fold out types....I had to work for mine! loved it....
jen - 8 years ago
So wait a minute...as a kid, you build houses, and then you became an architect????? Good thing you had to work for your doll houses! I had forgotten all about Midge!

Thanks for sharing your stories! Your name is in the drawing hat!
Teresa - 8 years ago
Don't have a lot of memories as a child. Was the oldest, so my job was taking care of everyone and peace maker. I was a tom boy, rode bikes, fished , hunted with my BBgun ,built forts and tree houses... Didn't play with dolls but dressed them every morn, and put their jamies on at night. the only girly girl things I did was embroidery and jacks.
jen - 8 years ago
Teresa! No wonder you can do it all today! Your childhood talents were endless...and extremely practical. :) You are still a peacemaker even today. I miss jacks...and envy you the ability to hunt and fish. Wow.

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