Red-Tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk / oil on black canvas / 4x4 / $38 including shipping

sold!

A FRIEND'S HUSBAND DIED Monday, after a long and wearing illness. He'd been in a nursing home since January, and since April, with one exception, my friend had not been able to see him, because of the covid. 

The exception was last week, when he was very sick, and had been taken to a hospital, and she was allowed in, and could touch him and kiss him and hold his hand. 

It feels like there has been a lot of death lately, or maybe I am just noticing it more. 

The one thing I have learned from all of it is that it's up to me to live, as strongly and as bravely and as appreciatively as I can, every day, every hour, every minute. I owe it to Peter, to my mother, and I owe it to my family and my friends, and most of all, I owe it to myself. 

***

For Today

"In many traditions, hawks are sacred: Apollo's messengers for the Greeks, sun symbols for the ancient Egyptians and, in the case of the Lakota Sioux, 

embodiments of clear vision, speed and single-minded dedication." 

- John Burnside

Red-Tailed Hawk

Red-Tailed Hawk / Oil on black canvas / 4x4 / $48 including shipping

sold!

I FIND MYSELF WANTING to go places - even planning to go places - and then waffling, or pulling back entirely, because of the covid, and now, because of the new explosions of the covid. 

And when I look ahead, there seems no end to it. 

So I am remembering, again and again, to look on this time as a precious gift. Reminding myself to Live in This Moment. To be patient. To be kind. To try to be good to someone else. Do something to improve someone's day. 

It is not easy. What is easy is slipping back into my impatient, self-focused, hurried, complaining life. 

So I am trying to stay upright, to be grateful, and to look upon this as a special, different, positive time. 

***

For Today

Dead Tired

Walking very slowly

I looked up

And saw six red-tailed hawks

Circling over and over

Above my head. 

Pointing it out to my friend,

She said,

"Something must have died!"

Looking about

The area was empty

Except for me.

I began to move

A bit more quickly. 

- C.J. Krieger