Happy 80th Birthday to Mom - Best gift EVER

Mom in her happy place

So my mother is turning 80 this year, in just a few days. She's a little nervous about it, but kind of zen and we're all feeling very fortunate that her mind is sharp as a tack and she's still fairly mobile.

We wracked our brains for what might be a good present for her - we wanted it to be something special. Dad's been gone to heaven for several years, and she's moved from the place they lived to our little town, so a big party wouldn't be quite right at this time.

My sister had discovered a verrrrry special artist who does paintings on commission, and his name is Rick Alexander. Rick is magnificently talented and also a very empathic person - able to do paintings on commission that celebrate the lives of very special people. He can paint the things they love, the animals they love, the people they love, and the result is nothing less than absolutely enchanting.

We decided to have a painting done for our mother (my sister, brother, and myself went in together on this very special present).

The result is wonderful. We can't wait til she opens it at her party on Tuesday - we will pass out the tissues beforehand! There won't be a dry eye in the house.

Dad, and us

My brother sent Rick a decent amount of information, such as that my mother associates hummingbirds with my Dad, so in the painting, my Dad is represented by the beautiful hummingbird flying along, yet leading the way, in joy. And each of us siblings got to pick an animal that represents us, my sis is the elephant happily playing with the water, my brother is the dragonfly, able to flit about at will, and I am the lynx, my totem animal for life who leads me through many meditations and teachings.

Some of Mom's favorite things

From the info that my brother sent to Rick, he was able to paint so many of my mother's favorite things, such as the cat named Cricket that she and Dad had and loved so well, and ladybugs, and the camels they loved from when they lived in Arabia for four years - the "blanket" on the camel is actually a reproduction of a bookmark Mom uses all the time, that she keeps on her table by her favorite chair when not in a book. Stargazer lilies were my Dad's favorite flower, and they're in there, as well as the butterfly ginger jar that he bought her when they were young and in so much love, that sits on her fireplace mantle today (no one's allowed to touch it, especially the maids).

I love that the painting shows her in her happy place, surrounded by all the things and people and animals she loves, and when I wrote to Rick to say thank you for your amazing talents, I told him I thought he'd struck up a spiritual connection with her while he was working on this.

What a very special present. We can't wait til she opens it and we know that for years and years to come, whenever any of us looks at it we will know and appreciate the celebration of who she likes to be. Rick also is making each of us a little printed book of details in the painting, so we'll each have a lovely keepsake.

Thank you Rick Alexander, for your beautifully refined talents and for making my Mom's birthday and all the days to come so very, very special!!

I would highly recommend this artist in case you want something really really special for someone you love! He can be reached at r.l.alexander@me.com - keep him in mind....

Here's to our elders, may they enjoy comfort and love and our joy in them each and every day!

Namaste,
Jen