Chasing the butterfly.PARENTAL LOVE IS POTENTIALLY LOVE'S PUREST FORM and may be the most painful. Thomas Gainsborough, whose marriage was unhappy, adored his two daughters, whom he called Molly and the Captain. Their mother's flawed psyche was inherited by both girls, and their father agonized ag·o·nize v. ag·o·nized, ag·o·niz·ing, ag·o·niz·es v.intr. 1. To suffer extreme pain or great anguish. 2. To make a great effort; struggle. v.tr. over them all his life. Neither was to know happiness, and his many pictures of them show a sad foreknowledge fore·knowl·edge n. Knowledge or awareness of something before its existence or occurrence; prescience. foreknowledge Noun knowledge of something before it actually happens Noun 1. of this. To give those we love their independence, to accept that we cannot make their choices for them, that they cannot live by our hard-earned experience: This is part of love. We have to allow those dear to us to chase the butterfly, however convinced we are that it is uncatchable. We can never give the butterfly of happiness to another: Each must catch it alone. For some, it will be ever elusive, and love must work within that painful understanding. By SISTER WENDY BECKETT Sister Wendy Beckett (born February 25 1930) is a South African-born British art expert, consecrated virgin and contemplative hermit who became an unlikely celebrity during the 1990s, presenting a series of acclaimed art history documentaries for the BBC. of Norfolk, England, well-known for her BBC BBC in full British Broadcasting Corp. Publicly financed broadcasting system in Britain. A private company at its founding in 1922, it was replaced by a public corporation under royal charter in 1927. and PBS PBS in full Public Broadcasting Service Private, nonprofit U.S. corporation of public television stations. PBS provides its member stations, which are supported by public funds and private contributions rather than by commercials, with educational, cultural, television art series and her popular art books. Reprinted with permission from: Sister Wendy's Book of Meditations (DK Publishing, 1998; 877 342-5357). Painting: Mary and Margaret Chasing a Butterfly, circa 1759, by Thomas Gainsborough, 1727-88 (The Art Archive/National Gallery London/John Webb. |
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