Charm and Grace... in the words of Rhett Butler

In the movie Gone With the Wind, when Rhett is finally leaving Scarlett, we find this dialogue between them:

Scarlett: Rhett! Rhett, where are you going?
Rhett Butler: I'm going back to Charleston, back where I belong.
Scarlett: Please, please take me with you!
Rhett Butler: No, I'm through with everything here. I want peace. I want to see if somewhere there isn't something left in life of charm and grace. Do you know what I'm talking about?



Rhett, of course, was talking about the qualities found in the South that "had been" ... before the war came and robbed them of their dignity and pride (misplaced though that pride often was). But there must have been a real charm, grace, and gentle rhythm to life in the South at one time. I think we have tried to hang on to much of that. I know I have. A taste of humility can be a good thing for a people, and that's just what Southerners got from that war. There were so many wrongs that could never be righted. But, the humbling process undoubtedly produced some of the charm, grace, and genuine niceness that I have found around me all my life.

Margaret Mitchell writes of the transition from proud to humble so poignantly in her prose... about that civilization that is gone with the wind. Those words uttered by Rhett Butler in the movie are not actually a direct quote from the book, but the essence of it is there. The movie is where I first heard the words "charm" and "grace" used in conjunction with one another. It apparently made a lasting impression. Aren't they wonderful words? They convey just what you really want life to be like. While we will never really know if Rhett found those things (yes I do realize he is a fictional character), we can make charm and grace a goal for our own lives.



What do the words Charm & Grace mean to you? To me, they speak of the desire for beauty in the daily things of life, sincerity in all my actions, a warmth and rhythm to life, a fondness for those around me, a gentleness with those I am just getting to know, a genuine care and concern for my neighbors... I could go on and on. I hope that those things are what you find when you visit me, my dear blog friends and neighbors!

Blessings,

A lump in the road....

Well, I thought I would share some of what has been going on with me for the past few months, unrelated to artwork, holidays, or kids. At the beginning of September, I discovered a large lump under my left arm. It did not hurt at all, but was fairly large. I don't know how long it had been there, but I had not noticed it before. After a series of doctor visits, ultrasounds, and mammograms, the latest doctor in the series of doctors assured me that he saw no cause for concern. He did, however, want to keep a close eye on things which required me coming in for subsequent visits. After the last of these which was also followed by the requisite dopplar ultrasound, there had still been no change. So the doctor recommended that, in lieu of the continuing visits, ultrasounds, mammograms, etc., he would go in and take out the offending lump and do a biopsy. So, this past Tuesday I went in for the outpatient procedure. I am the lucky recipient of a 2 1/2 inch incision under my arm, and later in the week I received the fabulous news that the lump (a lipoma) is nothing to be concerned about.

In all honesty, I must tell you that I really was not worried about it... in fact, I hardly thought about it at all. But then, I am not a worrier by nature. On the other hand, my mother-in-law, my mother, and my hubby all do enough worrying that I don't have to. Of course, this is all fresh for my mother-in-law who just two years ago completed chemo treatments for breast cancer herself. In her case, we all felt that her original doctor was not proactive enough. So she did not want the same thing to happen to me. And believe me, I am very thankful that these precious people love me like they do. I must tell you that I am also thankful to only be recovering from the incision and not having to make decisions about what kind of treatment comes next. Many people were caring and praying for me, and I want to give God the glory for answering those prayers.

I have many responsibilities as a wife and mother which I truly enjoy. But I haven't been able to do some of those the last few days. I am looking forward to getting back into a routine now and truly moving on from this "lump in the road."

Blessings to you all,