Filled with Anticipation at 90 Years

Anne Harris, mother of three, including me, is ninety years old today. Each day is a blessing.

She has always been an active participant in the sometimes wonderful, sometimes trying, always surprising stages of life. In recent years she has been an acute observer of old age. Several of her computer generated pictures and books on aging have been widely shared through her books which have been sold through the internet. You can view some of these at her site HERE, and in particular you might look at her most often asked for book, titled Experiencing Old Age, HERE.

Anne recently has gotten a better picture of what she faces as death becomes a nearer friend. She writes frankly about the possible lines of development as her body breaks down. She is not filled with dread of death but with anticipation an hope.

Being an artist and, how shall we say, Anne, she expressed her anticipation in a recent picture she drew of herself on the computer. Being partially bald, Anne in this drawing is nude except for a silk cap on her head. She, like Venus in Botticelli's Birth of Venus, is modest even in her nakedness, although in old age there is less to be modest about. But the hand that Venus has partially covering her breasts is, in Anne's self pose, lifted high to catch a star in the heavens. Lacking Venus' hair, a star already caught provides modesty below. Venus is on a shell and is being born into the world. Anne is rising from the earth, and being borne to the heavens. Behind and below is North America (with some liberties). Above is the blackness of space and stars.

I am so proud of my mother that I can hardly stand it!

In the midst of all the frump in Anglican blog land there have been people on opposite shores who this week end have found life to celebrate in large and small happenings, life greater than the foibled life of Anglican Land .

Fr. Jake takes joy in the life of a parish on a "regular" Sunday. Susan Russell got honored but spent more time delighting in others. Over at Stand Firm, Sarah Hay found the story of the death of a young man and its effect on parents worth the pondering. We all need reminders that in the midst of the seemingly momentous issues there are is the living of our lives, and grace comes mostly from the living, not from the issues.

Of course after the reflections it is back to work. After all, if I don't write something on the current situation in Anglican Land, my mother won't read my blog. But wait...if that happens maybe she will have more time for greater revelations from a life filled with anticipation. It is almost a convincing argument for... oh, never mind.

Happy Birthday, Anne.