Monday, July 11, 2011

Friends and Flowers

In a way, nobody sees a flower, really, it is so small, we haven't time-- and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time. -Georgia O'Keeffe

Coming from her, that is quite a statement.  A powerful, humbling one.  After all, she is Georgia O'Keeffe-- the artist who made us all look at flowers like never before.

We cannot see every flower we come across, can we?    It is true-- flowers are small.  She knew that and so she painted them huge.  That is what Georgia O'Keeffe saw and she made it her own.  Of course, we took notice. 
Still, there are some flowers you find yourself noticing more than others.  Maybe a Jack-in-the-Pulpit tickles your fancy.  Or the fragrance of Lilly-of-the-Valley floats your boat. Whatever it may be, you have taken the time to notice.

The part that interests me, though, is her belief of how to have a friend takes time.  We cannot become friends with every person we come across, can we?  What do you notice in a person that compels you to reach out and begin to form a friendship?  How does it develop for you?  What do you do to nurture a friendship?

These Jack-in-the-Pulpit paintings were created in 1930.  That got me thinking.  Georgia O'Keeffe did not have Twitter or Facebook. I find myself conflicted. Does having a friend mean posting on Facebook and maintaining connections with friends?  I have some friends that I have not seen for ages and ages, but I am able to stay connected to them with the immediacy of the Internet.  Or is it necessary to be intimate and face-to-face? After all, sometimes more is communicated by what is left unspoken.  And, this can only be observed in a personal encounter.  How do you weigh in on this?

No matter the time, 1930 or 2011, I suppose what this speaks to are the intentions you set and how you go about your business of living-- and connecting.

No comments:

Post a Comment