🌤️ A Painting, a Cloud, and a Family Story

This painting started the way many things in life do—unexpectedly.

My daughter began by brushing watercolor pinks across the top of a circle. Then came a dark cloud, bold and a little mysterious. It wasn’t something I would’ve chosen—but it was real. Honest. Her.

I didn’t want to correct it. I wanted to meet it. So I added to it

At first, I painted a field of flowers. But soon, I saw something more: our story. Our family. The lives we’ve lived, the ones still growing, and the ones we hold in memory. Each flower became someone I love—two families of four, my sister standing independently, and the pair in the back: my mom and dad, or maybe my grandparents, still present in their own way.

Then came the birds.

They’re not just decorations in the sky—they’re us.

Every bird I painted represents a family member of mine. Some flying together, some in pairs, one flying solo—but all of us moving through the same sky. We may drift, dip, or rise at different times, but we’re still part of the same flock.

Even the black cloud has its place. Because not all skies are clear, and not all stories are simple. But there’s beauty in that, too.

This was never supposed to be a masterpiece. But it’s one of the most meaningful things I’ve created. Not just because of how it looks—but because of how it feels. It’s a snapshot of love, memory, independence, loss, connection, and above all, resilience.

We are the birds and the flowers. And this is our sky.