The Way a Bird Sings

Marie Pinschmidt

471 Brackenwood Lane, N.

Palm Beach Gardens, Fl. 33418

Phone 561-624-9003

Email:

MariePin001@comcast.net

Web site: http://www.paintings-prose-palmbeach.com

Word count 819

LET ME TELL YOU

Another Lesson from Nature.

THE WAY A BIRD SINGS.

Claude Monet had a way with words as well as a paint brush. One of his quotes pops into my mind at unexpected times causing me to ponder the joy in my life, or the lack thereof. The quote is, "I would like to paint the way a bird sings."

Think about it. Have you ever heard a bird sing with anything other than complete joy? They sing with gusto, with unbridled enthusiasm and passion. Their heads are tilted toward the sky as if attempting to stretch their vocal cords for the most perfect tones. Their beaks are spread wide and their feathers and wings quiver with the pure joy of it all. They just "let it rip". They don't sing with heads hanging down, or with a "who cares" attitude, nor do they show evidence of shyness or doubt in their abilities. If a bird in the neighboring tree gives forth a more perfect tonal pitch, they don't let their insecurities stop them from singing their own song or putting their own slant on the melody. They don't sing as if they'd rather be doing something more exciting.

It's been said that you can't be sad and sing at the same time, and I believe it to be true. I find it impossible to be sad while watching mocking birds flit about, or while listening to their song, and I can certainly relate to Monet's musings. Who among us wouldn't like to sing better, paint better, hit a hole-in-one, or find a cure for a life-threatening disease?

One can't imagine Monet having misgivings about his painting abilities, especially now, when his canvases sell for astronomical sums of money. I hope, by some cosmic phenomenon, he has finally found peace and a sense of satisfaction in what he brought to the world; but, I doubt it. Artists, in spite of their level of success, always strive to paint, write, or perform better, not for monetary gain but to fill that deep, half- empty, beauty-seeking well within them.

We glean from Monet's quote that he must have felt a degree of dissatisfaction in his creative abilities, yearned for more joy in his work, or a greater sense of accomplishment. Like all creative people, he probably felt his paintings lacked a little something here or there, or found it difficult to mix the perfect shade of green as viewed in a particular light. When we looks at his work on museum walls, we don't see his struggle to capture the proper light and atmosphere, his agonizing desire to express with paint and brush his feelings about the impossible scene confronting him. "Happy are the people who believe that it is easy" was another of his comments. When it does come easy we delight in the fleeting moment, and forget all the failed prior attempts.

How often do we consider what it is that truly brings us joy? How often do we ignore or postpone the one thing that makes our heart sing like a bird? My husband used to advise young people to determine what they loved to do and then find a way to make a living at it. Unfortunately, when we find what we love to do, the latter proves too difficult and we abandon our joy. Nonetheless, if we don't pursue our true love, an abundance of the alternative will leave within us an empty space or that sense of "something missing". I fill my empty spaces with painting and writing because the activities bring me joy and I feel diminished without them. Your joy may come from something entirely different, and that difference is what makes us unique and more interesting as individuals.

Monet also said, "It's the hardest thing to be alone in being satisfied with what one's done." The desire to share our occasional accomplishments with others is a natural inclination, but we must be careful to hold those rare moments of success close to our heart so that lack of enthusiasm in others does not take away our joy. We all have different interests, different levels of creativity, and different songs to sing, but together we give the world a beautiful melody.

Although success seemed far beyond his reach, Monet had the courage to aim for the perfection of the song of a bird, and we have all gained from that wish. Whether your song is that of a lark - or a loon - your particular voice is needed in the universal chorus to bring the greatest joy to others. Claude Monet may have felt his wish to paint the way a bird sings was far beyond his capabilities; the world begs to differ.

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