In reflecting on 2015, I am amazed by everything that has happened. It was a year of newness, change, and transition; the ebb and flow of life alas, impermanence. It was a year of leaning in to this impermanence and practicing compassion and mindfulness on a whole new level. In January 2015, I began in earnest, a regular meditation practice. I meditate each morning for 30+ minutes. For the first time in my 43 years, I have found inner peace. It feels beautiful!
Other transformative things occurred in 2015: we moved to a new state, my youngest brother got married and our middle brother received a liver transplant! Life is amazing. Moving from New Jersey to Pennsylvania relieved us of a monstrous and stressful commute and put the boys in a new school district (which happens to be the one where we teach and one of the best school districts in the state of PA). Scott and I had art exhibited at the Community Arts Center in Wallingford. My piece, Strata of Memories won first place in the mixed media category.
Throughout all of this, I continue to create art. For June and July, I participated in Daisy Yellow’s index card a day challenge which resulted in 61 works of art. It was invigorating! To do this while finishing the school year, having my brother’s wedding, and moving, I developed a process: created lots of prepared backgrounds, worked with familiar materials and had several cards going at once. Working on a small size was helpful.
After a vacation in August to Cape May, New Jersey we began the school year. I was lucky enough to have a rock star of a student teacher with me throughout the fall semester. Simply put, she is a gem! She made it possible for me to be present with my brother when he underwent a liver transplant in November. Back in June, I created an index card series about my brother’s liver disease, PSC as a way to use my art to create awareness. Little did I know that when I made these pieces in the heat of the summer, that he would undergo a liver transplant a few months later. My brother’s liver donor and family are never far from my mind. His final act of donating his organs is the ultimate act of generosity and kindness. My brother is alive today because of an organ donor. You can register to be an organ donor here.
A special thank you to those who made my first time as a Sepsis Ambassador a HUGE success! My commitment to making art to create awareness continues and is also an important part of my philosophy of art education. The art I have made led to a connection with Sepsis Alliance. You can read and listen to my interview on NPR here. Sepsis Alliance asked me to become an ambassador in December to raise funds and awareness. It felt like such a special way to honor the memory of my Dad during the holidays (he loved Christmas so so much).
In closing, 2015 taught me so much about the fragility and preciousness of human life, and embracing the present moment. Tomorrow my family will gather to say goodbye to my dear cousin Kalin McNichol. She died on December 23, 3015 after a courageous battle with colon cancer. Her smile and positive energy were electric! Growing up, I idolized her: her sense of humor, her fashion sense, and her easy way of being. In 2002, she was in my wedding. A kindred spirit and practitioner of yoga, she understood me in ways few do. Kalin, you are forever loved and forever missed.
