Night One – You are in the air boundlessly exorcising your anxieties, while effectively embracing your courageous spirit – feeding it the soulful confessions it requires.
Night Two – You are adapting to your unfamiliar shelter, one you will call home for the time being. Knowing you – it will only take days, perhaps mere moments before your heart overflows with the elegance of Italy.
Night Three – Confirmation of my assumption; affection for your new surroundings is written in the purity of your smile. Now my heart floods with adoration.
Night Four – You have returned from traversing through an afternoon in Tuscany. I did some brief searching and found the following: Arezzo is a charming city, off-the-beaten path, known for its rich history, vibrant art scene, and authenticity. It’s a gem suspended in time, where past and present intertwine, offering a unique blend of historical and cultural attractions. Arezzo is also known for its beautiful Piazza Grande, the Giostra del Saracino (medieval tournament), and the numerous churches and monuments that characterize the center.
Miraculously you are there – fighting not fleeing; soaring not settling; living not simply existing; growing not wilting; and loving not neglecting.
Every Night – I miss you but am buoyed by the flow of a serene tide. As a father, even after 21 years and a yeoman’s effort, I will eternally search for stable footing. Your ability to navigate has created a smoother surface for our journey.
Night Eight – I am looking at a picture you sent during the afternoon, well it was your afternoon, hard to adjust to the difference. It is not negative or positive; it is merely odd. Since I’ve known you we have always been in the same time zone. Usually something like this would not cross my mind, however, a heightened sensitivity and lowered resolve, has resulted in the desire to numb the idle mind. Your twilight horizons are now my early afternoons; your morning meals are now my mid-night slumbers; your witching hour is now my evening routine; and our daily “sweet dreams” salutations have graduated.
Night 43 – You are gazing at The Aegean Sea staring at water which has flowed for 4,000 years. Your photo displays a gracefulness reserved for only those who rejoice in the gift of their rightful passage.
Night 74 – Venice beckons you to its mystical lagoons. Once again the movement of the undercurrents calls to you and your answer is “aventura.” You partake in glassblowing, a night trail run, the vibrancy of Burano, and libations galore, underneath the protection of brassiere adorned ceilings.
Final Night – We spoke earlier and you wept openly, about how you were happy to be crying, about an experience so powerfully perfect the emotions of these moments would endure a lifetime.
Day One – You are home! Although, presently, it seems you would prefer closing those big brown eyes, blinking, and materializing back in Italia. For now, you will dream of the evening cypress trees afterglow, aromas of cascading Chiantis, and the eternal bonfires dancing toward the heavens, effortlessly connecting to the stars.
Selfishly, I am thankful for your return and eager to absorb the tales. As the unpacking commences, you entrust me with your assigned manifesto.
Bella said ~ Expel the action of death by artist. Clear the field of our haunted minds riddled with judgement and fear. So often as artists we stand in the way of the production and expression of our art. We become our own enemy. Not because the world doesn’t understand us but because we often don’t let it try. So release the ghosts that fester behind pushing and gnawing its way in the mind.
Self-Doubt is a disease:
- We kill ideas before they can speak, starving our art with silence.
- We spiral, we shrink, we compare.
- We hesitate rather than create.
Imperfection is a necessity:
We bleed and sweat as we polish the soul out of our work in search of this concept known as “Perfection.”
- In the process we fall into traps such as trading vulnerability for strategy.
- We fear flaws, forgetting their importance.
We forget that flaws and imperfections are proof that we are human. Proof that we are living.
Art, Expression, Creation. That is the fight:
- To create is to declare war on fear.
- To continue despite failure – despite that inner voice tearing us down – is revolution.
- We must stop aiming to be “perfect.” And start fearlessly striving to be honest.
More mess
More mistakes
And EMBRACE IT.
Embrace the shape, color, and texture of the paint you have splattered on the canvas.
Put an end to being your own enemy. Dismiss that voice keeping hold of your creativity.
Let go. Let go. Let go. And…
Your words inspire and the depth of your talents invigorate. Your semester abroad has been a triumph.
The ecstatic nature of your presence and the hope in your every word echoes the sentiments of F. Scott Fitzgerald. And this will fuel the depth and breadth of our existence.
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
Did You Know? Italy is the largest wine producer globally, crafting world-famous varieties like Chianti, Prosecco, and Barolo. The country produces around 50 million hectoliters of wine each year, surpassing rivals like France and Spain. With over 350 officially recognized grape varieties, Italy offers an incredible diversity of wines, ranging from bold reds to crisp whites and sparkling.
Beautifully expressed ——-and a feeling of rebirth and optimism and PURE JOY — Italy in my opinion is truly where —- if you are open and EMBRACE its gifts can give your soul PEACE——Thank you Lis
This touched my soul in so many ways. As I read this i remembered many moons ago what I would tell my dear friends when they had doubts of accomplishment or fear of taking any leaps. I would say to them “You are the author of your life, whether you write it in pen or pencil, it is up to you.” Writing your life in pencil gives you the option to change it all the time and probably never to accomplishment anything just a wrinkled piece of paper. But if you write it in pen, write those goals heartily without looking back, those goals, no matter big or small can be accomplishment without any fear are engaved to be accomplishment, to be fulfilled.
Thank you again. Can’t wait for the next blog.