. . . filled with thanksgiving

The Grateful by Anne Selleck


The artist describes this painting:

"Once upon a time there were people who didn’t realize what they had. There was greatness and beauty all around them ... sounds and sights and love. There were rivers and mountains and flowers and birdsong, baby cries and sky bluer than, well, sky. One day there was a great tragedy and all of the colors and songs and sights were gone. They couldn’t even find each other in the darkness. So they remembered. They remembered when everything had been right. And they cried that they had not loved enough to stop the tragedy. After a very long time, the people re-built their lives. And they told stories to their children. They taught their children to live each moment that they entered with thankfulness. They taught their children to listen to their world with their ears, to see each beautiful thing around them with their eyes, to taste the pure water and good food, to touch each other with kindness and to hold each other in times of sadness and in times of joy. But most of all they taught their children how precious their love could be for each other. The children saw that all around them was wonder and mystery; they paid attention to every small miracle and every moment that came their way they filled with thanksgiving."

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