tal·is·man –noun, 1. a stone, ring, or other object, engraved with figures or characters supposed to possess occult powers and worn as an amulet or charm.
2. any amulet or charm.
3. anything whose presence exercises a remarkable or powerful influence on human feelings or actions.
This image is from a very talented digital artist Donna Miller and it's a digital reminder or talisman that all we have is today, right now, this second. My mum is a reminder of the image as she simply embraces the possibility of every new day . She's always been an (sometimes impossibly so) joyful person. When I was a child she always tried to inject sheer fun into my life . Every birthday was a big celebration , she took me to dancing lessons, swimming drama ,horseriding and many other things I can't possibly remember !
There's not one "skill" from my childhood that is of any practical use to me now as an adult . Everything I did was for the challenge and pleasure alone. Now, as a parent myself , I cringe at the thought that I might be tempted "hot house" Colin into something that he has no interest in whatsoever. He is playing the cello now at school and the dreadful scratchings make me wonder if I should immediately sign him up for extra lessons ? I resist the temptation though because I can see that he is just taking pleasure in trying out something new and occupying his own musical space . There's no external pressure, no one to judge him , it's just about a chance to dream and aspire .
The opportunity to be very self-deterministic was probably the greatest gift from my childhood.It's been my own personal talisman or amulet that I metaphorically hang around my neck. Like my mum, I'm a dreamer and a planner . There's nothing better than the prospect of an empty day . I'd rather make plans that fail than have nothing at all to look forward to.
We have the "now" but we also have the glorious opportunity to use our days as a launch pad into the future . The future can be long or it can be as short as an afternoon walking the dog or a good movie on television.
A new day gives us possibilities . Pragmatism and a sad deferral of wishes and desires doesn't hold a ton of interest for either myself or my mother !
