A Moment of Joy: Salve for Your Tired Soul

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Moment of Joy Painting

You know when you’re tired and you need a vacation, yet there is no vacation in sight? Even a nap feels out of the question, and you don’t know how to find your energy.  Sometimes a little break to do something different will fill the bill.

I have always been a fan of piano music.  I had a few years of lessons as a child, but never took it seriously, except as a listener. The music of Jim Brickman, Emile Pandolfi, George Winston, and others gave me a sense of peace when chaos was all around with a toddler.

Near the Christmas holidays many years ago, I had the opportunity to attend a piano concert given by my friend, Michael Gaines.  He is talented in so many ways and this concert was a treat to the ears.  But there was more.  For this event, he had a painter, Cyndi Allison Taylor join him.  As he performed his music, she painted.  It was a treat to my ears and eyes and a salve to my tired soul.

At the end of the evening, we were allowed to bid on the painting.  The proceeds went entirely to the Hannibal Arts Council, where Michael was the Executive Director.  I was thrilled that I had the winning bid.

I’m not an auction person, but I really wanted the painting.  I loved the yellow and the blue.  I loved the graceful dancer and that Cyndi added wings to her.  The dancer’s pose had her hands lifted to the sky and it was as if she was lifting me up.  As if she might take me and Alaina along with her flight.

Somedays the image feels like a dancer, other days she has a certain quality of light that is heavenly as if she is an angel.  I have come to realize that for me she represents Sacred Space.  That afternoon the collaboration of Michael’s music and Cyndi’s painting transported me to another place where I was refreshed and filled up and connected with something bigger.

All the daily worries of raising a small child, getting ready for Christmas, traveling to see family, and buying the right gifts had been heavy.  The soothing music and the creation of the painting took away all the concerns and brought me joy, bliss.

The experience that evening would have been enough because of the impact it had on me that afternoon.  However, taking the painting home, enjoying it in our homes over the years, has kept that feeling and memory more alive.  It has transported me to a place of joy many times.

What little break can you take that will fill you up with joy?  It doesn’t have to be a weekend away.  The right activity for just a few moments can work wonders.  Look for those moments regularly to ensure you experience the bliss of being you.

About the author 

Cyndi Thomason

Cyndi is a mom and author of Profit First for Ecommerce Sellers and Motherhood, Apple Pie, and all that Happy Horseshit. She is also a speaker and thought leader in areas of ecommerce accounting and Mom Entrepreneurship. Cyndi is the founder of bookskeep which provides accounting and Profit First advisory services to hundreds of ecommerce businesses around the world. When not helping business owners or her team, Cyndi can be found in her garden.

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