My Latest Painting Class and My New Heroine

First of all, I would like to HIGHLY recommend the newly-opened Center for Lifelong Learning, sponsored by Athens State University. It is located in the beautifully-renovated building that years ago housed the Ben Jaffe's Department Store where I got my new school clothes and shoes when I was in elementary school. It's on Marion Street, right across from the Courthouse. The CLL already has many classes in the works -- all kinds of computer-related courses, financial advice, genealogy, books and authors, photography, yoga, etc. etc. But, my first choice was "Painting with Acrylics." The teacher was delightful and so were my fellow classmates, ranging in age from 13 to 80.

One in particular is my new heroine, the 80-year-old lady sitting next to me named Barbara. What an inspiration!! She has been a widow for several years, but she is most certainly not planning on sitting down in her rocker and feeling sorry for herself until it's her turn to die. No sir-ree. She's out among people, learning new skills and making new friends. She and "20 of her friends" just returned from a cruise. And, she and her sister will be driving to Georgia for a watercolor workshop next week. When her children questioned the wisdom of her driving that far, she said, "Well, I drove you everywhere you needed to go, didn't I?"

Oh, how I want to be like Barbara as I get older. Spunky. Curious. Friendly. Interesting. Enthusiastic. Inspirational. Happy.

I do NOT want to sit around waiting on someone else to figure out how to make me happy. I want my children to be envious of my social schedule. I want to be the one causing others to laugh and not just the one daring someone to make ME laugh. Get the picture?

I know it won't be easy. Already my body rebels against some great activities that my mind wants me to do. I want to reach down deep and keep going.

Just last night we had dinner with some friends whose only granddaughter was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at the age of two. She's eight now and has become adept at "pushing through her pain." She might not be able to tap dance, but she can play soccer and loves to swim.

Well, when I'm 80, the list might be pretty long of things I can no longer do, but if I still have my mental capacities, then I PRAY that I will continue to seek out and fulfill God's daily purposes for my life. Because each day that I wake up in the morning, I have to assume it's because God has an assignment for me.

The painting I created during this class might not be museum quality, but I'm going to find a place to hang it, and every time I see it, I want to remember Barbara and live my life fully and well.