I drive my daughter to school most mornings. I started to take her when she complained about the bus here and there and then it evolved into a nice extra chance for connection. In my way, taking her to school is like a hug. I’m really doing it because I want to and I think she knows that.
On our 15 minute journey, sometimes we talk, sometimes we just listen to music (and sing at the top of our lungs, especially to Queen for the past few months), and sometimes we’re just quiet. The other morning we had a great conversation and an awareness sparked from it that I’d like to share.
I didn’t like school when I was young. Actually, I never really liked it. My daughter asked me if I ever liked a grade or a teacher and I told her that 5th and 6th grade were good for me. I loved the two teachers I had because they let me create which is all I really wanted to do. They saw me and valued me as a person and I felt it. It felt really good. I was able to blossom a bit in certain ways. My Elementary school art teacher came to mind suddenly along with the word inspiration.
My art teacher wasn’t overly involved in our process. He was often working on his own projects but I learned the most from being around him. Why? He inspired me. His art was at a level and spoke in ways that I could only dream of. I wanted to do that! I wanted to open up in those ways and refine my skills, not for praise or achievement, but for passion, desire and growth. Even thinking of this feeling makes me take a huge breath in. That feeling is something I’ve carried with me inside my heart all of these years and hadn’t really made the inspiration connection until that very moment in the car.
The word inspiration comes from the Latin word inspiratus which means to breathe into. In English the meaning was to draw air into the lungs. Isn’t this how we feel when we are inspired? Like we are literally taking a deep breath and coming alive? I’d like to ask, what inspires you and why? Definitely something to connect to on the path of our own evolution and desire. Spend time with those things and around those people who inspire you.
Lauren
