“Your body is not your masterpiece. Your life is. It is suggested to us a million times that our BODIES are PROJECTS. They aren’t. Our lives are. Our spirituality is. Our relationships are. Our work is. Your body is not your art. It’s your paintbrush. Whether your paintbrush is a tall paintbrush or a thin paintbrush or a stocky paintbrush or a scratched up paintbrush is completely irrelevant. What is relevant is that YOU HAVE A PAINTBRUSH which can be used to transfer your insides onto the canvas of your life- where others can see it and be inspired by it and comforted by it.”
One of my favorite places to clear my mind and enjoy the beauty around me.
It's tradition to finish all of my coast rides at the San Benito House Deli in Half Moon Bay. A year ago I met Marie, the lovely woman who works behind the counter. We've since become pen pals. Every few weeks I'll receive some lovely photos that she's taken and has adhered to cardstock with her own personal message in cursive across the back. I happily created a few of my #100DaysofMaking cards especially for her.
She tells me that she's proud of my project. But she's also quick to add that I'm not the only one she sends letters to- "I write to older folks, those who are home-bound or in the hospital. Those who really need a lot of love." I ask how long she's been sending out photographs and cards to people in the mail. She smiles and her eyes twinkle. "30 years."
Marie makes the most amazing sandwiches at work. But after the deli closes and she heads home is when her real work begins. She is the most magnificent paintbrush I know, and raises the bar so high in loving people on a grand and magnificent scale. If you're in Half Moon Bay, drop by the deli and give her a hug. May the love she's poured into the world return to her tenfold.
What are you painting with your paintbrush? You are just as inspiring and have the opportunity to leave your mark on this world in your own unique way. As Neil Gaiman says, "And now go, and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here. MAKE GOOD ART."