Gift of Joy

I am always in search of a certain feeling… a particular flavor… a memorable aroma or a light that throws a comforting shadow on my life. I am in search of the good things. I silently reject and dismiss negativity and darkness… I used to fight the negative but realized that in order to win, I had to walk away.

There are people that surround us in our daily lives… there are people we choose to share a portion of our sanity with. We can be friends from across the street or from across the country.

I have read your words of encouragement to others… I could feel your concern for the pains of your friends. Your words are as good as your deeds. You love your family and your surroundings. You have found happiness. Some of us peer into your life and we are the better for it.

I asked you to paint a picture for me and my family. I knew you would put love and tenderness into it. I knew you would share a bit of your soul with us. I wanted some of your joy and happiness to flow within our home.

I didn’t care what colors you used, you didn’t ask… I didn’t care what the subject, you didn’t ask. I knew it would be as it should be. When we opened the box that sat in our living room, we were like a family at Christmas. I gently cut the tape that held our parcel at bay. The layers of bubble wrap enticed the child in every one of us.

When Kate’s mother was living, she used to blow a kiss to every red-bird she saw. She would purse her sweet little lips and blow a wish of happiness to her mother who she said was waiting for her in heaven. When Kate sees a red-bird in the yard or in our little town, she blows a kiss to Nana, her mother, I know Nana is waiting for Kate to return to her in heaven. I smile as I see my children replay the same scene… So you see, the little red bird that we see hopping in our yard is a special little bird to us.


I was charged to paint our kitchen once upon a time. Kate went to the paint store and stared at the color swatches… she stood around and compared the golds and the greens and the reds… I didn’t hurry her because I am not a fan of painting. I didn’t hurry her because she doesn’t like to be hurried, and she knows I am not a fan of painting. After a very long week of decisions and blocks of colors all over our kitchen walls, she made a calculated decision on the perfect color of green.

As you may imagine, this green did not match well with the color of the adjoining living room that falls next to the dining area… that connects with our kitchen. Back to the paint store for the same routine… again, no hurry… Before long, I was painting again… this time in the perfect color of chocolate brown.

I don’t know Lary… but I know he loves you. I know it because I work with wood and I know when you asked him to make a frame for the painting, he didn’t hesitate. I looked at the frame just as I looked at the painting. I see clean and precise cuts. I know he loves you because the wood is clear and without knots… the screws that hold it together are cleanly counter-sunk. He must have used a new saw blade because there are no chips on the edges. He took a vast amount of pride in making something for me… for someone he doesn’t know… I know he smiled as he presented it to you… I know you kissed him in appreciation.

So you see Dixie, we have been waiting for this beautiful painting for some time. These are the colors of our lives. These are the images that pull us together… the family tree… our loved and admired feathered friend and the symbols of our children. It is all there… perfect as it should be.

Thank you for this gift to us… thank you for this gift of joy…

Shannon R Killman