When Jake (19 now...17 at the time) asked me one day if I thought it would be OK for him to draw on the walls, I immediately said, "Yes!" He walked into his bedroom and began to draw.
I checked on him a little while later. I said, "I thought you were going to draw on the living room walls where we could ALL see it."
And so he did.
Radical.
This is my boy's passion. This is my boy's Joy. He knows it is good and right and exactly what he should be doing. Even when most other parents are reprimanding their children for drawing on the walls, Jake knows that he and his art are more important to his family than any *thing*.
One morning a few months later, I awoke to find surprises drawn on the bathroom wall. This time, my boy knew that he didn't even have to ask my opinion...he knew that his art on our walls would be considered a gift from him to his family...from his family to him.
I painted over that gift today, as the bathroom walls were quite ready for a new coat of paint. I felt a bit of sadness as I covered them up with a nice shade of Gray Autumn Fog (hmm...looking out my window this morning, I'm thinking that color name is most appropriate!)...but mostly I felt so grateful. Grateful for this life of allowing my children to Be Exactly Who They Are. Grateful that they know that there is no other way to Be. Grateful that Jake has been allowed the freedom, support and celebration to connect with the creatures within him that manifest in his art.
I also felt a deep Trust. Trust that there would be more drawings on our walls for many days to follow...
This made me smile so much. My mom allowed & encouraged my drawing on the walls, too, when I was a teen. I drew this wonderful, full-sized drawing of Leon Russell, w/long flowing hair and his tophat, as well as a really cool pine bough the full length of my closet door. She eventually painted over Leon after I moved out of the house, but when she sold the house after my dad passed away years later, she took that closet door with her - LOL! P.S. I am so looking forward to owning a copy of and helping pass the word about Jake's children's book once that is published (and I know it will be. It is going to be *such a special & amazingly beautiful book* and I'm so, so, SO excited for him.
ReplyDeleteJake is very talented!
ReplyDeleteI never drew on walls myself, but then, the thought had never even crossed my mind. I love how you are so open to the Joy and Possibilities, Anne. :)