From a single source

Julia ♦ February 12, 2021 ♦ Leave a comment

A garden at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, where I spent some memorable hours in July 2013.

“At the deepest level, the creative process and the healing process arise from a single source. When you are an artist, you are a healer.” — Rachel Naomi Remen

Often we think of art as something that hangs in a frame on a wall, but in reality the work of countless artists surrounds us so pervasively that we scarcely notice it most of the time.  The photo above was taken in a lovely little garden at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, where I was able to spend some quiet moments during the long day of waiting for Grady to be born.  Megan had checked in the night before and labor was induced early that morning, but Grady was not letting anyone hurry him, and he didn’t show his face until almost 9:00 p.m. that night.

I had spent many long hours in hospitals for most of the preceding year, so it wasn’t a difficult wait for me.  However, I was eager to see our grandson, and increasingly anxious to know all would be well.  I escaped to that little garden more than once that day when the waiting area became too dull, and was outside there when Drew’s friend Paul (who was staying in touch with the delivery room via texts with Drew) called me to report that they had decided to do a C-section. 

Being a physician, Paul was able to give me enough details to reassure me that this was a sound decision based on avoiding risk of complications from prolonged labor, and not an emergency situation.  Everyone was fine, and I would be seeing our grandson in an hour! So the photo above brings back a lot of happy memories about the night Grady was born.

A variety of artists made that healing little garden a reality.  Landscapers, architects, and woodworkers joined forces to create a perfect setting for the sculpture of a newborn baby lovingly held in two hands.  In the years since it was finished, I believe hundreds of nervous family members must have found calm and solace in that serene space, as I did. 

I’m so thankful for the imaginative spirit that each of us has, in some measure, which we use in various ways.  Whether you are engaged in producing art, or appreciating the work of others, I hope your life will be touched today with the healing power of creativity.

One year ago today

Added to the inner freedom

This post was first published seven years ago today. The original post, comments and photo are linked, along with two other related posts, below. These links to related posts, and their thumbnail photos, do not appear in the blog feed; they are only visible when viewing the individual posts by clicking on each one. I have no idea why, nor do I know how they choose the related posts. That’s just the way WordPress does things.