Family, Faith and Art- Happy Easter!

In a little over an hour it will be Easter. My husband and I will watch church online, as we are still cautious about being around crowds due to Covid. We will spend lunch with his family, taking care to hide the eggs for our niece and nephew before they arrive. Unfortunately we will not see my family, because my newborn nephew is currently in the local Children’s Hospital.

It is odd not seeing my family. Holidays have always been sacred in my family. We have seen family on every holiday possible, exhausting ourselves traveling here and there and everywhere, enjoying the conversation with loved ones, and pigging out on the abundant food present at each party.

Over the past few years, there have been many changes to our family gatherings- not related to Covid. Yet, even still, holidays were a chance to spend time with family.

Tomorrow I will be thinking of my brother, and video chat with him when I can. He and his wife are separated from their two oldest children, both being cared for by my parents and my brother’s in-laws. They are with their baby boy, who is recovering from a collapsed lung at birth.

This time of year is typically filled with joyous memories of young ones hunting Easter eggs, laughing with family, and contemplating our faith. This year, however, my thoughts will be with my nephew, and everything will feel strange.

I am still thankful to be able to see my husband’s family, and spend time with our niece and nephew on his side. I will enjoy seeing their faces as they swiftly find the eggs we hid, and beg for them to be hidden again. I will enjoy playing with them, laughing with them, and being with them.

Along with everything we have been through this past year, my husband and I have learned to enjoy the moments we can, and have faith in the moments we feel lost. It has been a tough year, for sure, but I don’t know where we would be without our faith!

One thing I have often turned to, in order to relieve my stress, is art. It has always been my desire to be an artist. I want to master watercolor, charcoal, drawing and painting. I want to be a professional, but I know I can only be me.

I am not patient in my art, and simply will not give the time needed to become a master. But, for me, that is okay. I love creating art quickly, finding joy in the emotions that are released through my creation. In this, I have discovered a love for scribble art.

My brain is constantly filled with thoughts, projects, and ideas. It is loud and crazy, wild and free. It is for that reason I believe I love scribble art as much as I do. I can sketch what I feel, without the need to be perfect. I am often surprised at how much better I feel when I am finished with a sketch. It is an expression of my soul, and I am thankful for that expression.

In honor of the day, I want to post a few scribble art pieces I have created. Today we celebrate the day Jesus Christ sacrificed his life for ours, and rose again. For that reason I post pieces I created in honor of his birth and his death. They were created with care, purposefully and thoughtfully. I hope you enjoy them!

So, tomorrow I will gather with and video chat with family, watch church online, and thank God for my husband and my life. I know that life has been crazy lately, but I am thankful for the life I have been given, and the faith I have in the one that this day is all about. I am thankful that he lived and died in love, and was raised from the dead to continue that message.

I cannot wait to share that message with my newborn nephew. Today my thoughts are with him, and the hope I have for Easters together in the future.

I hope you and your families have an amazing holiday, enjoy one another, and remember the love that this day is all about. Happy Easter!

---

Have you ever used art to deal with difficult times, or celebrate joyous occasions? Don’t forget to comment or reach out to me on:

Twitter– @storiesofpetey

Instagram

Pinterest

Facebook

To always stay up-to-date on Stories of Petey, sign-up with your e-mail to get notifications on my latest blogs.