Day 10: “The Flowers of Forgiveness”

Beth Blair

April 29, 2019

Original Painting: “Forgiveness Flower”, 10/17/2018, Acrylic on Paper 18×24

This painting, “Forgiveness Flower,” is on my list of favorites.  It is more than the colors or the movement or even the texture of this painting.  It has depth of the process of forgiveness. If forgiveness was an easy process, it wouldn’t be a tenet of religions, a spiritual practice, or a major topic of billions of therapy sessions. Forgiveness is a maze that brings to the surface many feelings, emotions and thoughts.  It is a gauntlet.  If we soften the gaze on forgiveness and see it as a many petaled flower that opens slowly and takes times, it still is not easy to practice or offer to others. Feelings and emotions get in the way. The greatest adversary to forgiveness is intolerance. Many times, it is a lack of understanding that brings about the exchange, disagreement, perceived wrong or altercation. Here we stand at the place of perspective, expectation, assumption and so many things. If only things were truly black and white, it would be easier…it also would be boring! Think about it, only two choices for everything…

In the garden of human existence, intolerance is the vine, the weed, the poison ivy that goes unnoticed until it has overtaken emotions and created the list of “shoulds.”  This list of “shoulds” sets off the chain of reactions that can lead to chaos…much of which is internal chaos.  Our world is chaotic because our internal world is also chaos.  The practice of forgiveness is the patient gardener…pulling those weeds, those thoughts, those emotions…

Feelings are normal…all of them, anger, joy, fear, rage, happy, sad etc.  There are actual lists and charts of feelings, because many people don’t understand them.  Emotion is the act of expressing feelings…the action is emoting.  Notice in the list of feelings, there is something missing from the list.  Many would classify LOVE as a feeling and even an emotion.  It is neither.  It is a state of being, something Divine or Universal.  I would even dare to say it is the Life Force or Chi.  It is what give heart to living. In its truest sense it is unconditional. Humans puts many conditions on LOVE.  This certainly be another blog…I think there are probably enough books, poems, essays etc. written about love to fill the largest library on the planet.

The connection I would like to make here is that from this fountain, love, is where forgiveness is born, created, cultivate and honed. Forgiveness is the hoover vacuum for the soul.  It best achievement is for the forgiver, not the one forgiven.  It is the act of clearing out the intolerances, those emotions, those judgmental thoughts that only hurt the thinker.

While I am not certain what I was thinking on the day I painted “Forgiveness Flower,” it is not lost on me that October 17^th is my father’s birthday. Clearing out my “daddy issues” may have been the work of this day…or it could have been a subconscious sign of letting go of the projections I held for who my dad was “supposed” to be.  Today, I can say that this painting connects love and forgiveness as conscious actions and expressions of living my life Divinely inspired…in whatever form that takes on a given day.  My hope is that I can practice forgiveness in a way that strengthens me, my relationships and my purpose here on this spinning planet circling the sun.  How do you experience forgiveness? Love? Emotions and feelings?  How do you want to let go of intolerance and open to understanding?  Blessings and peace on your journey.

Beth is a seasoned and experienced bodywork, somatic coach and wellness professional. She is available to present on wellness, bodywork and somatic topics; or individual bodywork and coaching sessions.  Bring Beth to your area for workshops, speaking events or team building projects. Personal and business coaching are also services that Beth provides.  Consider coaching for individual or small groups/teams. Contact Beth for more information and rates.