Creating the Masterpiece of What Might Be

For the last few months I haven’t blogged much, as I’ve been physically working at our new home in Glacier National Park. We’ve been working to complete the construction of our dream – a gorgeous home in the mountains.

I take great pride in what we’re creating here… sometime a bit too much. I’m writing today to share a learning experience I had this week, from behavior that I’m not proud of.

Our current project is the creation of original concrete/painted/epoxy countertops for our kitchen. I learned a lesson this week from a super sweet 11 year-old girl, named Lexi.

We hired Lexi’s parents to create the countertops, and fortunately, they allowed me to help with the artsy part of the creation. As we were artistically applying the paint to the surface, Lexi’s mom invited her to help. I’m disappointed with myself, to say that my first reaction was that a kid would mess up the gorgeous design we were creating. I didn’t want this darling little girl to mess up any of my designs. Ah, ego can be such a brat at times.

In the last three days, we’ve added layer after layer until the final product doesn’t remotely resemble the beautiful designs I was so intent to protect. But instead of what once was, we now have something even more beautiful. And, it took the collective effort of all of us to create this unique design.

I had to laugh when I realized that creating these countertops was just another reminder of how life works. So many times we’re consumed by “what is” that we close ourselves to “what might be”.

We’re so intent on holding onto and protecting that which we perceive to be “what is”, that we miss the beauty unfolding around us. We miss the chance to create the masterpiece, because we’re too concerned to change what we already have.

Without Lexi’s energy, this countertop wouldn’t be what it is… just like without others around us, our lives wouldn’t be the masterpieces that they are.

We need one another. We’re all part of one another. Without one another, our lives just wouldn’t be the same.

Sometimes I need a tangible experience to smack me in the face to help me remember the wisdom inside. Sometimes I need to get out of my head, play more, not take life so seriously and just allow life to happen.

Lexi, forgive me for my moment of selfish ego, and thanks for your help in creating our beautiful masterpiece in our kitchen and for the loving reminder that you offered to me this week by your presence here.

And to those of you surrounding my life, thank you for your contribution to making my life what it is. For without your splash of yellow paint, or your dab of grey, my life would be different. It is only when I recognize the combined contribution of each of you that, like our countertops, I can see the masterpiece that we’re creating together.

Life becomes more wonderful for all of us when we don’t worry about the spilled paint and instead play well together.

So, bring on the paint. Join me to let go of what is, and together let’s create something even more magnificent than we already have. Something tells me that together, we’ll create quite the masterpiece.