I acquired this small bas relief many years ago, and it has traveled to the many places I’ve lived. It typically rests on the wall in a bathroom (no particular reason, it just seems to end up there). One morning, the early light came through the sheer curtain on the window and created a pattern on the piece, drawing my eye and inviting me to really look at it.
As I looked at it, dappled by the light, I realized that – to me – the image didn’t depict a parent and child relationship; rather, it depicted a younger self and an older self. I was both the adult elephant as well as the youthful calf.
My friend, S, will understand what I mean by this, as will at least some readers. And maybe some of you see a parent and child relationship – what we see may differ, of course, based on our own frames of reference, and that’s perfectly fine, too.
Seeing this old piece of art, purchased for very little long ago, chips and all, made me realize how much I like it, and why I continue to place it somewhere I will see it each day. It is steadfast, joyful, and beautiful. May your day be the same.