Sails on the Sea, 2023

I have this childhood memory of a painting of a boat, a boy leaning off one edge, the balance between the two slightly askew. It has become a compilation of several paintings I have seen over the years to the point that I can no longer call upon a...

I have this childhood memory of a painting of a boat, a boy leaning off one edge, the balance between the two slightly askew. It has become a compilation of several paintings I have seen over the years to the point that I can no longer call upon a completely accurate description. That image of a boy balancing on the edge of a boat always made me feel that we are never more stable than the moment we trust. His comfort in the water, with the boat, his experience in how far he could lean, his confidence in the bobbing of the boat on the water to carry him rather than knock him over. There is an ease in riding the water. He is relaxed. Surrendering but still in control. There is a lesson there about leaning out to edge of our capabilities, the edge of our comfort, the edge of our understanding, leaning out just enough. Balancing safety with risk and then trusting that the waves of life are carrying us where we want to go.