My life even into my 50’s never had a complete focus on me. I went through art school, but never focused on my personal art once I had children. Through the years each day I bounced from one priority to the next. I always thought that at some point when my kids were finally in grade school, finally driving, finally off to college, I would have time to focus on my life and accomplish the artistic goals I have always wanted to fulfill. Yet, as all my professional and familial thresholds were met and gone through another task came for me to take on.

I did start to consider myself in 2006 when I met a wonderful man who began to teach me to sail. Sailing was a personal goal I knew immediately I wanted to accomplish. My second personal goal was to become a Master Gardener which I did in 2014. Still working at a career and having elderly parents to help into older life as well as children bouncing back home my life continued to be chaotic.

In the fall of 2014 I decided to take a watercolor class. If my wonderful husband and I were planning on cruising one day, even part-time, I needed a new art form that I could do while sailing. I had not painted since college and had only tried watercolor once when I was 18.

Three things pushed me forward. First my mother now in her mid 80’s with dementia was living near the weekly watercolor class. My mother painted in watercolor when she was an adult and I decided my goal for the class was to paint one new painting each week. After the class I would take the painting to show my mother. Next, my brother - a financial planner with a new office, needs artwork at his firm. He offered to pay for the framing if I would paint him four paintings. Lastly, on a beautiful day in the fall I was drawing a picture of our marina before we were to shove off for our Wednesday night sailboat racing. A friend came to crew with us and less than two hours later he had died just a half hour after I got him to the hospital. He was just 50 years old.

That was it. I was going to focus on me. I have focused on watercolor painting. I still have set backs. I still need more time. I still have so much to learn. A friend asked me last night if I didn’t regret not starting to paint earlier in life. I can’t say no, but I didn’t and I can only go forward.