ave maria

The words fill my chest with awe and I fall on my knees in my mind wherever I am, whenever this magnificent meditation is sung. 

It is the season of The Joyful Mysteries.  A time of waiting that is dark and wondrous.  And I am hugely expectant. 

Ave Maria gratia plena. 

Creation is divine, I made this connection some time ago.  But this year, at this time in my life I am more aware of the similarities between conception and birth and the creative process I live.  Could not live without.

The baby waiting to be born serves no purpose other than to come into being.  He or she is unique.  We who wait wait with hope and we protect the fragile little life inside with everything we have until we are blessed with his or her presence. 

So it has been, is, and will be with my children, my creations. 

Like a parent, I suppose I have expectations of who they might become, but mostly I pray they will simply find their home in the world with good people who recognize their intrinsic value. 

As I take this step toward a more concrete expression of the dream t*da has represented in my life, I am full of grace.  I thank all of you who stood by me and helped me get to this point in the journey –  if you are reading this you are one of them. 

Special thanks to:  Scoop for never failing to ask how it was coming along all these years … Bonnie for providing the encouragement only another writer can … Conda and Big Bear – one for inspiring me with his unassuming presence and piercing offbeat wit, and the other for never indulging me, while believing in me … Cheryl for voting with her feet  … Mimi for being herself … Tom for saving my words and using them to express his love to his wife Rachel … and to Liz, an amazing art director and kind soul who gave form to the concepts  while reminding me to “let them be.”

I invite you to view the first two collections of t*da studio.