My Beauty,
I’ve been thinking a lot about Creativity and what it means to live a creative life ~ the kind where I’m actively participating in the creation of my day to day, and in the creation of a life beautifully lived.
My grandmother is 100 and a half years old and she’s been so loved and has loved so much. She’s seen tragedy and triumph, and she’s been there for me since before I was born, ever present, ever loving. Her wicked sense of humor even more hilarious as her mind wanders and circles and cycles. So many days on this planet, so many hours and minutes….
In my heart, GG’s lived a Creative Life because she’s born witness to so very much. Born in 1920, she’s ridden horses, driven a horse and buggy, a model T, flown in airplanes across the world, watched as a man walked on the moon… as the rover landed on Mars.
She’s been witness as we’ve reached for the stars, as we’ve searched deep below the sea, as we’ve struggled and triumphed with the day to day and the goal to do better, to be better, to be kinder, to love ourselves and each other all the more.
She’s buried her husband and mother and father… so many friends, and she’s held her grandchildren, and her great grandchildren, and her great, great grandchildren in her arms and loved us as we all grow and learn and be.
GG exemplifies the beauty of presence. The strength in perseverance. The quiet power in being wholly and holy who you are. The grace of living in this world ~ that can be so volatile and so scrumptious ~ by loving as holy and wholly as she ~ you ~ can.
Creativity, like Life is a process, and both have so very much to teach us about who we are, who we want to be…. And I really don’t think there’s much that’s more beautiful, more poignant, more profound, more CREATIVE than the simple and oh, so stunning capacity to love unconditionally, to be present, to listen and to hear, and to always, and in all ways, hold out your hand in love to those you love.
Love is the most creative process there is. We can try and make LOVE be what we want it to be, and we can allow LOVE to be what it needs to/wants to be by letting LOVE in as wholly and as holy as we are able, every single day of our lives.
GG’s taught me to love mySELF, to be proud of who I am, to be accepting of my foibles and my eccentricities and my capacity to do better, when I know better… She’s helped me keep my heart open to love and to be loved all the more. She’s helped me be me, not because she did anything in particular, not because she told me to do this and to not do that, but because she’s “just” always loved me. And knowing you are loved makes room for all kinds of miracles and opportunities to grow into your capacity to be more of who you are…. more of who we all are, LOVE made real.
Here’s to my GG and her glorious, Creative self.
Here’s to you and you’re glorious, Creative self.
InJoy,
Shannon
PS Who’s made a profound, creative impact on you and your being-ness? I’d love to keep this conversation going.
Email me at: shannon@shannonhorn.com or check out on my Instagram feed (@shannonleehorn) where I’ll be sharing more about what embracing my own creativity means to me and how it has added so many colors and textures and adventures in getting out of my own way.
Geraldina Fay Smith Horn
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