I cried myself to sleep the other night with feelings of nostalgia. I was thinking how quickly the girls have grown. I remembered how every birthday I would trace their little hand, and see how big it had gotten that year. I was thinking about how lately they are driving all over the place and meeting up with friends at coffee shops, or going shopping, and how it felt like they were never with us anymore. They were saying goodbye and flying out the door, doing life without me! (I told ya I was being nostalgic!)
So, I cried myself to sleep, and woke up to once again stand at the door, say goodbye, and wave as they pulled out of the driveway to go to school.
Later that night, I got home from work and was making dinner. I was standing looking at the dining room table. Both of our girls are in advanced drawing and painting classes at school and have created some stunning pieces. Most of the time, the dining room table needs cleared off before we can have dinner.
I’m looking at these amazing paintings, and looking at all the paint supplies scattered on the table, and thinking about how much they have accomplished in these 17/18 years of life and I decided right then and there we were going to make a family piece of art.
I knew I was getting ridiculous with my sentimental attachments, but I came up with an idea to do a “family promise” piece.
If you have read some of my blogs, you may have heard me say once or twice 😉 that “The Cowles Herd does life together.”. Our “Family Promise” art piece is now my favorite piece.
As we created it, I explained to the family what it meant. We each picked our own color. All of our favorites. (Mine, of course, had a little glitter.) The color was important because it represents our individual personalities. On the piece, our fingertips are touching, because while we are living together right now, we are involved in the day to day of each other’s lives. All the big moments and all the little ones. However, one day we will not be all together. We will be doing the “day to day” apart from each other, so the thumbprints, in the palm of each other’s hand, is a promise to “that hand” that you will always be there and be involved in their life.
Of course, I cried trying to explain it.
Below are the handprints, as my babies grew, and our beautiful “Family Promise” art piece.
It is hung by the dining room table, where more art will be created by my amazing…grown…daughters!
Cowles Farm 