For reasons I am not aware of, I woke up thinking of my 2nd art piece and its rightful owners. As soon as it was finished, I knew who needed to have it.
The sculpture was a flexible composition. At the core was a rail spike I had found on a walk along an abandoned rail line in Maryland’s hills. Immediately, I was certain I had to do something with the 15 cm (6 inches) spike. Once home, I steel-brushed it, removing the rust so the core was revealed, scars and all.
The spike went with a redwood stick person. The stick person’s arms were raised in celebration, having successfully lifted something to the sky. As I formed the shape, a natural space formed where the heart would be. The spike fit perfectly into the heart’s niche.
There sculpture had two natural positions. First, the spike standing tall in the heart of the prostrate figure. The second, the figure standing tall with the spike laying across the raised and outstretched arms.
The sculpture belonged with John and Carol. As an artist, John loved the simplicity of the piece and how it made him feel. For Carol, it was her “favourite work of art”. The story of sacrificing oneself for another resonated deeply. The idea of celebrating one’s sacrifice ran true to her experience.
Gifts can be hard to accept. Unconditional love, difficult. Accepting another sacrifice for our benefit, problematic. Even letting another share our burdens and loads can be challenging.
When Divinity is involved, as I was reminded at the Abrahamic Family House, things seem messy. Paul’s reminder brought the lesson into focus; “What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives.” (Romans 1.21)
Carol’s response was an example that lives on after her passing; embrace the gift with a thankful twinkle in her eye and lasting smile. We were both changed in the process.
