This is the first painting you see when you enter my living room. It is a print of Monet's The Artist's Family In The Garden. After looking through countless prints online, this one spoke to me personally during a rough time in my life. My Dad had died a few months before after a difficult bout with cancer. Missing my Dad, I felt drawn to the spirit of this painting. To me, I imagine how the artist/father watches his family with love as he paints this beautiful picture. He is off to the distance, but still participating in his family's joy surrounded by all the beauty of the garden. I like how he painted those points of light shining through the trees and dancing in the grass. That light makes me think of little gifts of Heaven adding to the richness of this moment of peace and happiness in a family's life.
When I stop to look at this painting, my heart aches a little less because it reminds me how my Dad is still here watching me play with my kids in the yard. It comforts me to believe that his spirit still watches over me with a father's love. I can easily see his smile when I imagine how pleased he would be watching my kids grow and play. I keep these thoughts close to my heart.
