Anna Now and Then

Once when I was young enough to ask my grandmother blunt questions, I asked her what it was like to be so old. I’m glad I did not know any better than to ask that question because my grandmother’s answer has stayed with me all these years. She said that one of the best parts was knowing so many people and getting to find out how their stories unfolded across their lives.

This is certainly true as I can attest to anyone blunt enough to ask this same question. And I feel so lucky on this October 26 birthday of my daughter to see the deep, compassionate, astute, hard working, loving person that she has become. You will notice in the two sketches above, one from this summer and the other from the year she turned three, that she now fills up a chair when she sits in it. Similarly, her drive to make a difference and her ability to take action with this goal in mind now fills her life. She is truly an amazing person. I look forward to many more years of watching her story unfold. Happy Birthday Anna!

The sketch from 1983 is pencil and watercolor on watercolor paper; the 2016 sketch is pen and watercolor on multimedia paper.