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Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Vincent (Starry Starry Night) Don McLean


I have always loved this song, but I will admit I did not like Vincent van Gogh's art until I learned his story. The struggles Vincent van Gogh  had and his beautiful swirling colors remind me to be nonjudgmental and enjoy the differences that make each one of us unique. We all suffer, some of us suffer in black and white, some of us struggle in vivid color.

When I was at Duke University Hospital as part of  the Chaplaincy training, we were reminded to search for and listen to a patients life story, each person has a string of events that they have lived through that becomes a part of them. During times of trouble, pain, sickness, death, or hurt, our past story intertwines with current trials and things can become overwhelming; until some one comes along beside you and tells you it is okay to experience life, struggles and all, and assures you that they will work through it with you. Chaplains do that, true friends do that. 









I discovered the same thread when working with troubled teens. Their story is still all entwined with their family, their story sometimes is short and confusing. Many times they get hung on a certain narrative of what they feel life is supposed to look like.  When you put a blank canvas in front of a troubled teen they see one blank canvas and think of all the
 complicated steps to make one painting. They are afraid to make a mistake. When you tell them to just paint one block of shape at a time and that if they do not like it they can paint the canvas back to white and start over - then they begin to relax and create something they can enjoy. Life is like that, one step at a time, add a little color and see what takes shape, give yourself and others lots of forgiveness to cover up the mistakes, start over.  

If no one else believes or listens to your story, paint it. If you do not like what you have done, paint over it.  

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