we are here for the sake of one another.
- Albert Einstein

If there is anyone besides you that I'd love to share coffee with, it would be Albert Einstein.  Handsome in that goofy professor way, I imagine thought-provoking conversations the likes of which I haven't had in years.  i know - it sounds kind of silly.  i mean, of course AE would have thought-provoking conversations, right?  ahhh but there's a lot about him you don't know, then.

This morning, the cardinal sat Right Outside my window, doing his very best impression of an alarm clock.  at 6am.  I had fallen back to a blissful sleep at 5am, and this red bird apparently felt it was time for me to get up.  not one to tick off nature, i complied.  Besides, the cardinal signals an intuitively creative time, and I'm on a roll these days.  Coffee made, stretches done, and to the studio for some melty beeswax yum.  I searched through a few books for inspiring quotes to use in this series of work, and remembered one i keep on my phone - from AE.  when i turned on the phone, an email popped up from a friend.  there was the usual blah blah blah about the day, but then a comment about some unfinished artwork I had shared.  It held what seems to be a barbed remark.  or perhaps a thoughtless flip of words.  words do fly fast these days.  but either way, they stung.  i am especially protective of my "in progress" artwork, as it will likely go through many many changes before it's pronounced Done.  I posted a few Almost Done pieces here yesterday, but felt there were no more major changes to come.  and i trusted you with my heart on this.  i include myself in the group of artists (people in general?) who are a tad protective, raw-around-the-edges, securely insecure about their work.  i may have a strong affinity for a piece, and so would be hurt deeply to hear an unkind word about it.  Much of my best work has not seen the light of day as yet, because of this.  sorry Caroline.  but back to my point.  to have this really brief but stunning email land in my email box was puzzling and hurtful.  i await a reply to my reply asking if it was intentional or just ignorant.

but meanwhile, i came across AE's quote, above.  and how much more truth per word can you ask for? i won't attempt to pontificate on the quote.  you know in your hearts and minds how deeply i feel this...how deeply i live this.  so i ask you, today, be there for someone.  Go there for someone who can't even express that they need you there.  and, to turn it the other way - sometimes a person needs someone there to share a great good thing...that it gets better exponentially when shared, and you really need to be there to share it.  go do the right things today.  and think twice before you speak.