The Painting
It's been something that I've been thinking about for quite awhile but, only just now felt inspired to write about it. Thus the story begins about 2 weeks ago while I was joyriding through Georgia. My cell rang and the caller ID indicated that it was my grandmother, better known to those of us in the family as, Mom-Mom.
She had been talking to Aunt Emily (one of her many sisters) who informed her that while cleaning out the baptistry at the church she found a painting of Jesus holding a baby. On the back of the painting read - "To Patti, Love Grandmom 1984."
At first there had been some speculation as to whether this "Patti" being addressed was Aunt Emily's daughter Patti, who is in fact my namesake, or me. They finally assumed that considering the nature of the painting's content, and the fact that I was merely a year old, the painting was intended for me. Apparently Grandmom (my great grandmother) had asked Aunt Elsie (another one of Mom-Mom's sisters) to paint the picture for me as a gift.
Her call was not only to tell me about the painting and ponder how it wound up under the baptismal tank, but also to ask me if I wanted it. Of course! Our call ended with her promising to send it to Tennessee as soon as she received it in the mail from Aunt Emily.
As I continued to drive I couldn't help but wonder what Grandmom would think of me if she could see and know the Patti of 2007. I pray with a hopeful heart that she would be proud of the person that I have become, or better yet, the woman I've become. Yet I can't seem to shake the idea that she would be sorely disappointed with this great granddaughter.
I've often been told that I'm "hard on myself." I know too, that I am a pleaser. I like to make people happy, and will often will go to insane lengths to win someone's approval or affections. It would be so nice to know that maybe there was someone who could look at me, and I would know that there was nothing more I could do to make them proud of me. I wish Grandmom could be that person.
She had been talking to Aunt Emily (one of her many sisters) who informed her that while cleaning out the baptistry at the church she found a painting of Jesus holding a baby. On the back of the painting read - "To Patti, Love Grandmom 1984."
At first there had been some speculation as to whether this "Patti" being addressed was Aunt Emily's daughter Patti, who is in fact my namesake, or me. They finally assumed that considering the nature of the painting's content, and the fact that I was merely a year old, the painting was intended for me. Apparently Grandmom (my great grandmother) had asked Aunt Elsie (another one of Mom-Mom's sisters) to paint the picture for me as a gift.
Her call was not only to tell me about the painting and ponder how it wound up under the baptismal tank, but also to ask me if I wanted it. Of course! Our call ended with her promising to send it to Tennessee as soon as she received it in the mail from Aunt Emily.
As I continued to drive I couldn't help but wonder what Grandmom would think of me if she could see and know the Patti of 2007. I pray with a hopeful heart that she would be proud of the person that I have become, or better yet, the woman I've become. Yet I can't seem to shake the idea that she would be sorely disappointed with this great granddaughter.
I've often been told that I'm "hard on myself." I know too, that I am a pleaser. I like to make people happy, and will often will go to insane lengths to win someone's approval or affections. It would be so nice to know that maybe there was someone who could look at me, and I would know that there was nothing more I could do to make them proud of me. I wish Grandmom could be that person.
posted by Patti RN | 3:49 AM
1 Comments:
i know all about this picture. of course it is yours. i remember when it was painted for you.
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