In Remission

Have you ever had something happen to you that altered your view of life? A situation that sprang up and changed your perception of reality. A circumstance that when you look back on it, you see there was your life before it…then there was your life after. AND THEN having to come to terms with “the after” part of it all.

This piece has a lot to do with accepting things as they are, and not how we thought they would be. So, I’ve decided to call it “In Remission”. I kept thinking about forgiveness and what that means to really have to accept a hurt without letting it alter your mental health to the point of making you resentful. However, calling this painting “forgiveness” just seemed kinda hokey.

I looked up synonyms for forgiveness, and remission came up. Of course, it made me think of several I know who have defied the odds of cancer and are well now…but I also had to wonder about their mental state of being. And also, it made me wonder if being “mentally” unwell can be considered a type of cancer, such as resentment and bitterness and anger…and is there a way to heal from it? Or work through it? Is it similar to the remission of physical cancer? Do we just sit with it forever and ever? How do we come to terms with our new life “after” a thing..?

While painting her, I decided that part of my forgiveness IS being in remission of my resentment. I’m going to do all I can to keep it at bay. Take all the preventative measures. Do my best to do what I need to do, to stay strong and healthy, (don’t worry yall, Im putting collagen in my coffee) and hope and pray that the cancer of my mind will stay away. That I’ll stay in remission from my hurt.

If you are in remission of anything..an actual cancer, grief over a loss, anything that’s broken your heart, I pray this painting gives you hope. Hope that can transform and heal. You may not see things the way you did before, but you can still bloom. I’ll do my best to bloom, too.

Because we’re all in remission from something, and we can’t just give in. Life is too good.

Ephesians 6:12

Romans 8:18