One Brave Little Dandelion...

I would rather see one brave dandelion flaunting its little bright yellow banners in the chill of an early spring wind, than a hothouse of perfect red roses.

Once when I was being interviewed for a magazine about my life and art, I shared the above quote with the reporter, who was so taken with not only the quote, but what he described as all this enthusiasm and optimism he said I had which he felt was very refreshing.

Alec had only been told I was a unique artist when assigned the interview.  Well, to Alec most artists are unique anyway, so he didn't think much of it.  That is until he met me discovering I was a artist AND a Little Person.  So immediately he became very intrigued.🤔

First, enthusiasm and optimism go hand in hand.

Yet what exactly ARE they?

From the book, "A Touch Of Wonder," Arthur Gordon says, "The enthusiastic person has the capacity for generating excitement.  They respond to the stimuli of life not only with their five senses and brain but with their emotions as well.  They feel things...care.  And as they care they are ALIVE."

"This is why the display of enthusiasm is such an endearing and contagious thing because it has optimism in it."

Alec knew as a Little Person I surely had so MANY challenges to deal with in every capacity of life and was very keen to know how I came to have the amount of enthusiasm and optimism he encountered.  You see until Alec shined a spotlight on this I hadn't realized my exuberant way of living was unique.  I had assumed most everyone were also living their lives this way or trying to.  

I told Alec I had learned from my challenges one should have what I call a "gratitude attitude," by focusing on the many things in our lives to be thankful for rather than a focus on what was wrong.  For in so doing we become a happier, far more appreciative person.

Then Alec asked to hear about my journey.  Like what carved me into who I was.  By this time I had just had my third spine surgery where I had to learn to walk again for the second time.  And soon after had to be hospitalized on a Pediatric Oncology ward for a bone marrow treatment.  Then I touched on my childhood which was a very difficult one.  

As Alec was there to focus on my art I then shared how I was the youngest artist to be represented by a art gallery at that time, showing him the work he wanted to see most which is of course...ahem, horses.🤣

And obviously that led us to my own horses.

"OH MY GOSH!  You have horses?!!  And you RIDE them?!!  How...HOW do you get ON them?"🤣

For two hours we talked discussing my Art, Theatre Set Design work and what they meant.  Then my piano playing, my seven horses, hopes and dreams.

Alec again returned to seeking more insights into how such a young talented very physically challenged person still managed to attain so much optimism.

I gave this some thought for a moment, then shared with him how in "A Touch Of Wonder," Mr. Gordon also described an encounter he had on the beach with an old Rabbi friend early one morning.  

The Rabbi picked up a shell and held it up exclaiming with excitement, "Oh look!  The sun is shining from within it!"  

"You see Mr. Gordon saw shells all the time yet never saw the wonder in them before the way the Rabbi did, and he saw how this applied to everything.  He realized, '"One who has an awareness for the gifts and wonders of life with appreciation and enthusiasm, somehow always manages to rise above their tough challenges without inwardly becoming dragged down by them."'  And this describes myself and the way I strive to rise above my challenges."

"Wow, Adelaide.  You have shown ME so much today!"

Alec went on to write a very lovely article using my dandelion quote and referring to me as "that one brave talented little dandelion flaunting her shining banners against the blowing winds of life."  This article received many letters conveying how the piece about this particular artist had quite an impact upon them.  I was profoundly touched.🙂

The gifts of enthusiasm and optimism are meant to be shared my dear ones.  For when you share these gifts with one, just even one, they will touch others and so it goes like ripples in the water spreading out more and more than you can ever imagine.🐎