Surviving Abundance Revisited
The theme of Surviving Abundance is one I have looked at through my art over and over through the decades. I keep coming back to this idea in my life and in my work, each time seeing a different side a different angle holding the thing up to a different light. In my twenties my thoughts about surviving abundance was about overwhelm, over commitment, over stretched and overly emotional. Now I see it in a softer light, although overwhelm is sometimes mixed in it is not what defines the time. I am more able to hold the fruits of responsibility and commitment and recognize the bounty within. As with the persimmons on the tree, I allow myself to put some of the harvest in a basket to wait, some can be cooked up right away, and some I even let drop to the ground. My husband and son can testify to the fact that I still struggle with over commitment sometimes, and when I’m in it my Lion self roars at the ones I love the most. But the Lion spends more time basking in the sun these days, less time pacing the cage. As I continue to grow and change and I keep confronting the same issues on my upward spiral of life but hopefully with a new perspective each time. And so the beautiful persimmon tree teaches me the lesson each winter that you cannot do it all. The weight can be too much and it is both prudent but wise to let things drop. Not everything needs to be used, processed, managed; handled, controlled…. My guide is the persimmon tree standing in the long light of winter bare of leaves while bearing fruit nonetheless, rare and singular beauty her most important offering.
Laura Thorpe
On many occasions during New Year’s visits to the Ranch, I have turned the corner of the Ranch House and gasped, literally gasped, at the sight of the huge persimmon tree standing sentry at the top of the slope. Gorgeous, odd and surprising. No way not to pause in the face of it. No way not to wonder.