“In art the hand can never execute anything higher than the heart can inspire”

• inspiration:
  
  stimulation to do creative work ~ stimulation for the human mind to creative thought or to the making of art
  
  somebody or something that inspires somebody to creative thought or to the making of art
  
  creativeness ~ a moment of inspiration
  
  good idea ~ a sudden brilliant idea
  
  breathing in ~ physiology – the drawing of air into the lungs
  
  fourteen straight days of moments, hundreds of them, where my mind has found inspiration. holding a loved one in the final moments of life. the shared witnessing of the divine presence revealed in a beige hospital room. the arms of my husband, his gentle voice – all reminding me of why i stay, why i remain committed. preparing a final celebration for a giving, loving life that truly mattered, for one loved beyond doubt. choosing the perfect rose, the most meaningful reading, food to nourish hearts seeking solace. sons gathered – three lives, full volumes each – love found, love lost, physical complaints faced with strength, bravery. family. friends. words of love, condolence, reconnection, reunion, life. my three kids – the picture of them seated together in church, the sun shining down on them through a stained glass window. the laughter of my grandbabies bouncing from one room to another throughout the day – their innocence insulating them from sorrow, protecting them from the sad (but happy too) reason for our gathering. bouncing off beds. swiping cookies off a platter as they dash around a corner, evidence of their presence leaving a cookie crumb trail. reconnecting with my maiden name self – who i was then, who i have become, where i’ll go from here.
  
  every blessed moment, and more with each breath i take. inspiration found everywhere. to write. to create. to imagine telling a story. among the many conversations i’ve had with family and friends over these past few days, one that remains with me is one i had with a cousin who i’ve not seen for years. one, i’ve learned, who also shares my passion for words and for writing. in trying to explain most accurately what i experience through writing, he explained it by saying that “as a writer and an artist, you find inspiration in everything, everywhere.” and he’s right...i see it all the time, it’s there. inspiration. in each conversation, in an embrace, in the color of the sky...everywhere. in seeing and in knowing that i am blessed with a heart that seeks it.
  
  wishing you moments that inspire...
  -t.
  

  quotation - ralph waldo emerson

  advice from me - seek inspiration at every opportunity and follow your passion with bravado, without fear of what others might think