A few weeks ago while preparing for a landlord inspection I was on a cleaning binge, and thought I would be clever and polish up a couple of brass candle stick holders in the workshop with my polishing machine.
Part way through the first one, after an initial wow at the results, I got to thinking …My husband and I were gifted these candle holders for our wedding (from friends of my Mum) we used them at the church, they have lived wherever we have and if I’m honest, this was probably the first proper polish they have ever had. (Eak I hear you say – what a slattern. Fair call.)
After polishing one part of a candle holder, I couldn’t bring myself to do the rest – I was drawn into a world of memories from our 25 years of marriage. So, I decided to put a wabi-sabi-like metaphorical frame around them and cherish the dings, candle wax, dirt and aged patina.
Another reason this is in my mind is because my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s 6 or 7 years ago – she’s doing great, still living independently, but I do see things getting harder for her. Time has become most precious, I know that things will become more challenging soon enough.
Tonight I was watching a YouTube video. The first line grabbed me. “We’re all living on our own perception box”.
The simplified premise being, no one else will perceive reality the same way as you, even if they live/see exactly the same things. We are all coloured by our previous experiences.
It’s not a new notion, but as I see Mums perception of reality shift into new places, her truths warping, I wonder if there is a way I can embrace (or maybe just distract from) my heartache as she fades into her own reality…through art.
Memories and objects – an interesting seed of thought to play with.