Today I had the honor of attending The Spiritual Grand Rounds at Jefferson Hospital hosted by the Pastoral Care Department. Jefferson Hospital was the last place I saw my dad alive and I hadn’t been back there since the night he died. My dad’s illness and hospitalization was so complex that the only way I know how to even begin to process it is through making art. As an artist and art educator, creating art is the best way for me to express my grief, sadness and loss. The art that I am making allows me to honor my dad and to sort out my feelings on suffering, death and grief.
Listening to the presentation today during The Spiritual Grand Rounds on “Art, Suffering and Spirituality” given by Marcie Brozyna, I was so moved and reminded by the generations of artists who expressed their own sadness and grief. Her talk was validating and inspiring. Marcie, a chaplain, spoke about “how our suffering and spirit lead us to create ripples, changing the world”. She went on to discuss cultural traditions and mores of what can be expressed and in what manner in terms of mourning and suffering. This gets to the heart and soul of what I want to do with my art work: use is as a place to express my own personal grief but also use it as a catalyst to open up the dialogue around suffering and grief for others.
A special that you to my mom for coming with me to today’s presentation. Today ended up being therapeutic and healing for both of us. Thank you to Peg Conboy SSJ of Jefferson Hospital’s Pastoral Care Department for extending the invitation to attend today’s Spiritual Grand Rounds.
To read more about my dad’s hospitalization, you can visit his CaringBridge page at http://www.caringbridge.org/